KALAMAZOO, MI - The Northern Illinois University baseball team earned a split of its doubleheader Saturday against the Western Michigan Broncos at Robert J. Bobb Stadium, winning the nightcap 12-6 after the hosts won the opener 10-4.

"We battled all day and salvaged our weekend with a big in in the second game," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "We did a great job to play hard all day and it paid off in the end."

NIU (11-24, 7-5 MAC) took an early 1-0 in the second inning of game two. Nick Drobushevich (Moline, Ill./Moline) led off with a triple. Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) then hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Drobushevich. The Broncos responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning, as a two-run single by Cooper Marshall and an RBI single from Justin McIntyre gave Western Michigan a 3-1 lead. Western Michigan added a run in the fourth on a Jimmy Roche single to put the Broncos ahead 4-1.

The Huskies got within a run in the top of the fourth. With runners at second and third with one out, Smith laced an RBI single to make the score 4-2. Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage) followed with a sacrifice fly to bring in Drobushevich for the second time, putting the score at 4-3. The Broncos went back up by two, 5-3, in the bottom of the inning on another Roche RBI single. Western Michigan had the bases loaded with one out following a Blake Dunn base hit, but Tristan Michaels (Barrington, Ill./Triton College) came in from the Huskies' bullpen to get the final two outs and hold the Broncos to one run in the inning.

NIU took back the lead in the top of the fifth. The rally started with back-to-back singles by Josh Mutter (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) and Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North). With one out, Lonteen doubled to right center to score Mutter and make the score 5-4. The Broncos then went to the bullpen for reliever Dane Ambrustmacher. Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) welcomed him to the game with a two-run double to put NIU in front 6-5. Drobushevich then hit a double of his own, giving the Huskies runners at second and third with one out. Smith brought in Dunham with an RBI single to give NIU a 7-5 lead. Larson walked to load the bases, which led to Drobushevich stealing home to make the score 8-5. That was it for Ambrustmacher, as Tyler Thorington came in to get the last two outs of the NIU fifth.

Drobushevich put the Huskies up 10-5 in the top of the sixth with a two-run bases loaded single. NIU scored another two runs in the top of the seventh. Larson walked to leadoff the frame, then got to second on a Paddy McKermitt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) bunt single. Mutter drove in Larson with an RBI single for NIU's 11th run. Szczasny then put down a squeeze bunt to score McKermitt and make the score 12-5.

Michaels did his part on the mound, allowing just two hits in 2.2 innings before Ethan Hajdukovic hit a leadoff home run in Western Michigan's half of the seventh to get the Broncos within six, 12-6.  That was as close as Western Michigan would get. Kyle Seebach (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle Twp.) and Nate Thomas (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) got the last seven outs allowing just one hit to wrap up a split of the doubleheader. The duo combined for six strikeouts.

Drobushevich was a season-high 4-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored in the nightcap, coming up a home run short of the cycle. He has had a hit in each of the last eight games. Smith had a season-high three RBI while going 2-for-4 at the plate. Michaels earned the win, allowing one run in 3.1 innings of relief with three strikeouts.

Western Michigan (11-21, 4-6 MAC) took a 4-0 lead in the second inning of game one, highlighted by a two-run double by Drew Devine. After a Dylan Lonteen (Peoria, Ill./Illinois Central College) sacrifice fly made the score 4-1 in the top of the third, the Broncos put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fourth. An Andrew Stone two-run single and a Dunn sacrifice fly put Western Michigan ahead 7-1. A two-run single by McIntyre in the fifth gave Western Michigan a 9-1 lead.

NIU put two runs on the board in the top of the sixth. Drobushevich drove in Lonteen with a sacrifice fly and Larson brought in Dunham with a run-scoring single to make the score 9-3. Both teams scored one run in the eighth to make the final score 10-4, with Drobushevich cracking his second home run of the season. The freshman finished game one 2-for-3 with two RBI.

The Huskies are back on the road Tuesday night to face Iowa. First pitch is at 6 p.m.

—NIU—