DEKALB, IL – The  Northern Illinois University baseball team managed just three hits Saturday in a 4-1 loss to the Ball State Cardinals at Ralph McKinzie Field.
 
"We just didn't hit today, plain and simple," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "Offensively, we didn't play well and that was the difference in the game. We had to win this game, and we had to score more than one run."
 
NIU (14-31, 10-10 MAC) starting pitcher Michael Lasiewicz (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) got off to a strong start, striking out Aaron Simpson and William Baker to open the game. Ball State's Ross Messina put the Cardinals ahead 1-0 with a home run over the left centerfield fence. Lasiewicz held the visitors to that single run as he struck out Andre Orselli looking to end the inning.
 
Ball State's (30-15, 14-4 MAC) John Baker allowed three walks in the first three innings, striking out five to keep the Cardinals ahead 1-0. Orselli doubled Ball State's lead when he hit a solo home run the fourth to left field, making the score 2-0. NIU had a chance to score its first run in the bottom of the fifth. Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) led off by reaching second base on a throwing error by Cardinals third baseman Ryan Peltier. After a flyout, Josh Mutter (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) moved Smith to third with a groundout to second base. Baker got out of the inning by getting Paddy McKermitt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) to fly out.
 
The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Chase Sebby. NIU got its first hit of the game with one out in the bottom of the seventh, as Nick Drobushevich (Moline, Ill./Moline) laced a single to right field to break up Baker's no-hit bid. Smith followed with a single through the left side, and both he and Drobushevich moved up a base on a Baker wild pitch. Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage) drove in Drobushevich with a sacrifice fly, making the score 3-1. Baker held the Huskies to that lone run by getting Mutter to fly out to end the inning.
 
Ball State added a run in the top of the eighth on an RBI single by William Baker to take a 4-1 lead. Nick Floyd then came in from the Cardinals' bullpen and allowed one NIU hit in the final two innings to get the save, and get Ball State the 4-1 win.
 
Lasiewicz struck out eight over seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits with just one walk. Smith and Drobushevich were both 1-for-3 in the ballgame. Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) saw his streak of reaching base safely capped at 16 games after going 0-for-4.

Following Saturday's game, seniors William Anderson (Columbus, Ind./Columbus East) and Ty Jandrowski (Kenosha, Wis./Madison College) were honored with a special graduation ceremony and conferred their bachelor's degrees by NIU President Dr. Lisa C. Freeman since the Huskies are on the road next weekend when commencement will be held.


 
The two teams wrap up their weekend series on Sunday at 12 p.m.
 
--NIU--