DEKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University baseball team completed its first sweep of the Ohio Bobcats since 2007 on Sunday with a 5-1 win at Ralph McKinzie Field. The Huskies are now 6-0 at home in Mid-American Conference play.
 
"We pitched, played defense, and got timely hitting this weekend," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "That's a recipe for winning any baseball game and we did it in all three games. It was nice to see. We just have to keep it going now."
 
Junior pitcher Ryan Anderson (Palatine, Ill./McHenry C.C.) had his best outing as a Huskie on Sunday, allowing one unearned run in 7.1 innings, striking out five while scattering eight hits. He started his day with two strikeouts around a pair of singles by Ohio's (8-21, 3-6 MAC) Aaron Levy and Rudy Rott. Michael Richardson then reached on an error that allowed Levy to score from second base and give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead.
 
NIU (10-21, 6-3 MAC) put its first five hitters on base in the bottom of the first. Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) led off the inning by reaching on an error. After a Brendan Joyce (South Elgin, Ill./Parkland College) single, Dylan Lonteen (Peoria, Ill./Illinois Central College) reached on another error that allowed Szczasny to score and tie the game 1-1. Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) then hit a single to right field to load the bases. Nick Drobushevich (Moline, Ill./Moline) kept the line moving with an RBI single to left field that gave the Huskies a 2-1 lead.
 
The Huskies went up 3-1 when Lonteen scored on a Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) double play ball. Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage) followed with a walk, then stole second base. Ohio catcher Nathan Mallott's throw went into centerfield, allowing Dunham to score NIU's fourth run. The Huskies put one more run on the board on an RBI single by Josh Mutter (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) to take a 5-1 lead.
 
That would be all the run support Anderson needed. The junior right-hander left two runners on base in both the second and third innings. NIU's defense helped him out, turning double plays in both the fifth and sixth innings. Anderson retired the Bobcats in order in the seventh and retired Levy leading off the eighth.
 
"We needed to give our bullpen as much rest as possible," Kunigonis said. "Between Erik Hedmark, Will Anderson, and Ryan Anderson today, those guys stepped up for us and answered the call when we needed it the most."
 
Tristan Michaels (Barrington, Ill./Triton College) came in the game and worked around a double and a walk with two outs to put another zero on the scoreboard. Nate Thomas (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) closed the door on Ohio in the ninth. After allowing a leadoff single, Thomas retired the side to wrap up NIU's sweep of the Bobcats.
 
Drobushevich was 2-for-3 with an RBI on Sunday. For the weekend, the freshman was 5-for-11 with five RBI and a stolen base.
 
"Everything is going well for us," said Drobushevich following Sunday's win. "Our pitching has been really good and our situational hitting has been better than it ever has been. We just need to keep it up."
 
The Huskies continue their current homestand on Tuesday, April 9 with a 3 p.m. game against UIC.
 
--NIU--