MILWAUKEE, WI – The Northern Illinois University baseball team led 2-0 after three innings at Henry Aaron Field against the Milwaukee Panthers on Tuesday, but a three-run fifth helped vault Milwaukee past the Huskies 5-3.
 
"Milwaukee is a good team and we gave them too many chances today," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "We didn't capitalize on opportunities when we had them."
 
NIU (17-33) scored a run in the top of the first. With one out, the Huskies loaded the bases when Milwaukee starting pitcher Matt McCarthy hit Brendan Joyce (South Elgin, Ill./Parkland College), Dylan Lonteen (Peoria, Ill./Illinois Central College) and Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) consecutively. Nick Drobushevich (Moline, Ill./Moline) scored Joyce on a fielder's choice, with Dunham out at second, to make the score 1-0.
 
Freshman starting pitcher Nick Bonk (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Stevenson) did his part to keep NIU in front, striking out two in the first two innings with just one hit. The Huskies gave him another run of support in the top of the third. Joyce led off with a single to left field and stole second. After a Lonteen groundout moved Joyce to third, Dunham knocked a single up the middle to score the NIU leftfielder and make the score 2-0.
 
Milwaukee (30-18-1) got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Colin Kreiter ripped a triple to right center with two outs. He then scored on a Bonk wild pitch to make the score 2-1. The Panthers then scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth, all coming on a two-out three-run double by Trevor Schwecke that put Milwaukee ahead for the first time 4-2.
 
The Huskies had a chance to get back in the game in top of the sixth. Drobushevich led off with a single, then got to second on a Smith groundout. Larson then singled to give NIU runners at the corners with one out. Milwaukee then went to the bullpen for reliever Clayton Uselman, who walked Josh Mutter (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) to load the bases. Malik Peters (Calumet City, Ill./Mount Carmel) hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Drobushevich to make the score 4-3. Mutter got in a rundown at first, trying to get Larson to score before he could be tagged out, but the Panthers got him before Larson could tie the game.
 
The Panthers went back up by two runs in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out RBI double by Mike Ferri, giving Milwaukee a 5-3 lead. Panthers reliever Patrick Tomfohrde made that advantage hold up for Milwaukee. Tomfohrde struck out four batters in the final 2.2 innings, allowing one hit as the Panthers won the game 5-3.
 
Joyce was 1-for-2 in the game, scoring twice while reaching base three times. Dunham and Drobushevich were both 1-for-3 with a run batted in. Larson was also 1-for-3 at the plate. Bonk allowed four runs in a season-high five innings, striking out four while giving up six hits.
 
"We did some good things today and there are some things we need to be better at," Kunigonis said. "We need to turn the page and move on to Bowling Green, finish the regular season strong, and be ready for the MAC Tournament."
 
The Huskies wrap up Mid-American Conference play with a three-game series against the Bowling Green Falcons at Ralph McKinzie Field beginning Thursday, May 16 at 3 p.m. NIU will honor its three seniors – William Anderson, Ty Jandrowski, and Josh Mutter – prior to Saturday's 12 p.m. game.
 
--NIU--