AVON, Ohio – The Northern Illinois University baseball team rallied in the top of the eighth inning to tie it's elimination game against the Ball State Cardinals at Sprenger Stadium in the 2019 Mid-American Conference Baseball Championship Saturday afternoon, but were outlasted by the Cardinals 8-7 in 11 innings.
 
"I'm extremely proud of this group and of what they have accomplished this year on and off the field," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "I can't thank our three seniors enough for all they've done for this program. Will Anderson, Josh Mutter, and Ty Jandrowski gave us everything they had every day while in a Huskie uniform. They have left a legacy behind they can be proud of."
 
NIU (20-36) trailed 7-6 heading into the eighth inning. Josh Mutter (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) led off with a walk. After Malik Peters (Calumet City, Ill./Mount Carmel) and Brendan Joyce (South Elgin, Ill./Parkland College) were both retired by Ball State closer Nick Floyd, Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) laced a single through the right side to keep the inning alive. Dylan Lonteen (Peoria, Ill./Illinois Central College) then stepped up and delivered an RBI single to centerfield to score Mutter and tie the game at seven. Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) followed with a single of his own, but Cardinals leftfielder Mack Murphy threw out Szczasny attempting to give NIU the lead.
 
Ball State (38-18) loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Kunigonis then called on his closer Nate Thomas (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) to end the Cardinals threat. Thomas struck out Ross Messina and John Ricotta consecutively to keep the game tied heading into the ninth. Nick Drobushevich (Moline, Ill./Moline) reached on an infield single leading off the final inning of regulation. He then got to third after a sacrifice bunt by Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) and a fly out  from Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage). Floyd got out of the inning by getting Mutter to ground out.
 
Thomas walked Chase Sebby to lead off Ball State's half of the ninth. Drey Jameson came in to pinch run for Sebby, but was caught trying to steal second base by Dunham. Kyle Seebach (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle Twp.) then came into the game for NIU and struck out Tim Blankenberger for the second out. After walking two straight batters, Seebach got Justin Conant to fly out to put the game into extra innings.
 
Both teams left two runners on base in the 10^th inning. Floyd retired NIU in order in the 11^th. Murphy led off the Cardinals' 11^th inning with a double. Seebach got pinch-hitter Langston Ginder to strikeout for the first out. Nick Powell then stepped up to the plate and hit a single to right center, scoring Murphy to give Ball State the 8-7 win.
 
NIU trailed Ball State 4-3 through three innings before putting up three runs in the fourth. Mutter got the offense going with a one-out walk, then getting to second on a wild pitch. Joyce drove in Mutter with a two-out RBI double that tied the game at four. Szczasny followed with a double of his own just inside the left field foul line, scoring Joyce to give NIU a 6-4 lead. Lonteen got the Huskies' third straight hit with two outs on a single, bringing in Szczasny to extend the NIU lead to 6-4.
 
The Cardinals closed to within a run in the bottom of the fifth. Griffin Hulecki drove in Messina on a fielder's choice to make the score 6-5. With runners at the corners and two outs, Tristan Michaels (Barrington, Ill./Triton College) came in to relieve starting pitcher Ty Jandrowski (Kenosha, Wis./Madison College). Michaels struck out Ball State designated hitter Andre Orselli on three pitches to keep the Huskies up by a run.
 
Szczasny reached base in all six of his plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with an RBI, three runs scored and four walks. Dunham had a team-high three hits, while Lonteen was 2-for-6 with a pair of RBI. Jandrowski struck out five in 4.2 innings, allowing five runs on six hits. Seebach had four strikeouts in his two innings of relief.
 
NIU finishes the season with a record of 20-36, reaching the MAC Tournament for the third time in four seasons. The Huskies won two games at the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2008.
 
--NIU--