TOLEDO, Ohio - The Northern Illinois University baseball team swept a doubleheader against the Toledo Rockets at Scott Park Saturday, winning by scores of 3-2 and 4-0 to win the weekend series. Head Coach Mike Kunigonis recorded his 100th career win in the nightcap, as NIU posted its first shutout since Feb. 25, 2018 at Western Kentucky.
 
"It was a grind from the first pitch on, but it was a great day today," said Kunigonis. "The pitching staff was outstanding all day. Erik Hedmark was unreal in game two, and Ty Jandrowski and Will Anderson slammed the door shut in both games."
 
Game One - NIU 3, Toledo 2
 
NIU (17-32, 13-11 MAC) got off to a fast start, as Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North), Brendan Joyce (South Elgin, Ill./Parkland College), and Dylan Lonteen (Peoria, Ill./Illinois Central College) hit three straight singles to open the game. The Huskies put a run on the board when Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) hit into a 6-4-3 double play to make the score 1-0. Toledo starting pitcher Michael Jacob held NIU to that single run in the inning by getting a flyout to end it.
 
The Rockets tied the game at one in the bottom of the second. Zach Schwartzenberger reached with a one-out single, then took second base on a Ryan Anderson (Palatine, Ill./McHenry C.C.) wild pitch. With two out, Andrew Compton cracked a double down the right field line to bring in Schwartzenberger and tie the game at one. Toledo took the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Darryn Davis hit a leadoff home run to give the Rockets a 2-1 lead.
 
The Huskies came back to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) led off with a single, followed by a Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage) double. After a Josh Mutter (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) flyout, pinch-hitter Malik Peters (Calumet City, Ill./Mount Carmel) hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Smith and make the score 2-2.
 
NIU had a chance to take the lead in the top of the eighth. Joyce led off with a single down the left field line, then moved to second on a Lonteen sacrifice bunt. After a Dunham groundout, Nick Drobushevich (Moline, Ill./Moline) reached on an error that moved Joyce to third with two out. Toledo then went to the bullpen for Austin Calopietro, who struck out Smith to end the inning.
 
The Huskies broke through in the top of the ninth. Larson led off with a single up the middle. Mutter then put down a sacrifice bunt to move the NIU first baseman into scoring position. Peters then ripped a single to right field, bringing in Larson from second base to give the Huskies a 3-2 lead. Ty Jandrowski (Kenosha, Wis./Madison College) made that lead hold up, throwing a perfect ninth inning for his xth save of the year.
 
Peters finished the game 1-for-1 with two RBI. Larson was 3-for-4, while Joyce and Smith were each 2-for-4. Nate Thomas (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) earned the win in relief, throwing three scoreless innings with three strikeouts while allowing two hits.
 
Game Two - NIU 4, Toledo 0
 
The nightcap started as a pitcher's duel between NIU's Erik Hedmark (Algonquin, Ill./Dundee-Crown) and Toledo's Nate Haugh. Hedmark struck out five in his first three innings while allowing two hits. Haugh allowed just one hit in his first four innings.
 
Toledo (16-33, 4-18 MAC) put together the first true scoring threat in the game in the bottom of the fourth. Chris Meyers led off with an infield single. Hedmark then hit Schwartzenberger with a pitch to give Toledo runners at first and second. Lonteen threw out Meyers at third on a groundball for the first out. NIU then got out of the inning when Peters snagged a line drive off the bat of Compton and threw to first to double up Ryan Thompson.
 
NIU broke the stalemate in the top of the sixth. Peters singled to left field with one out, then got to third on an errant pickoff throw by Haugh. Szczasny drove in the NIU second baseman with a single up the middle to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. Joyce then reached on an error by Trace Hatfield at second base, which got Szczasny all the way to third. Toledo then went to the bullpen for Kyle Jones. Jones got Lonteen to hit into a fielder's choice that retired Joyce for the second out. After Lonteen stole second to give NIU runners at second and third with two out, Dunham cleared the bases with a two-run single that made the score 3-0.
 
Toledo had a chance to score in the eighth. Thompson led off with a single to right field. After Hedmark struck out Compton for his eighth punchout of the day, David Jeffers reached on a bunt single. Thomas Eitniear then put down a sacrifice bunt to give the Rockets runners at second and third with two out. Hedmark got out of the inning by getting Brad Boss to flyout.
NIU tacked on an insurance run in the eighth. With Joyce at second base with two outs, Dunham reached on an error by Meyers at third base that allowed Joyce to score and give NIU a 4-0 lead. Hedmark put up one more scoreless frame in the bottom of the eighth before giving way to William Anderson (Columbus, Ind./Columbus East) who threw a scoreless ninth to preserve the shutout and the sweep of the doubleheader.
 
Hedmark's eight innings and eight strikeouts set new season-highs for the freshman. The left-hander scattered six hits and walked just two batters. Szczasny was 2-for-4 in game two with an RBI.
 
The Huskies play their last midweek game of the regular season on Tuesday, May 14 when NIU travels to Milwaukee. First pitch has been moved up to 12 p.m. from the previously scheduled 4 p.m.
 
—NIU—