COLUMBIA, MO – The Northern Illinois University baseball team rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the top of the ninth to force extra innings at Taylor Stadium Wednesday night against the Missouri Tigers, but it was the hosts who came away with a 3-2 win in 12 innings on a game-winning single from Clayton Peterson.
 
"Our guys fought every step of the way," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "We just didn't execute at a high-enough level tonight. Our pitching did a great job tonight. Ryan Anderson gave us a great start and Kyle Seebach and Nate Thomas did a fantastic job as well to keep us in the game."
 
Needing a run to stay alive in the top of the ninth, NIU got the lead-off man aboard on a single from Brendan Joyce (South Elgin, Ill./Parkland College). He then moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Matt Barnes (Bloomington, Ill./Heartland C.C.). Joyce got to third on a passed ball, and scored on another passed ball to tie the game 2-2. Nate Thomas (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) came into the game from the bullpen in the bottom of the ninth and retired the side to send the game to extra innings.
 
After scoreless 10^th and 11^th innings, the Huskies threatened to take the lead in the 12^th. Barnes reached on an error to start the inning. He eventually took second base on a passed ball with two outs, leading Missouri to intentionally walk Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North). The Tigers got out of the inning unscathed as Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage) flew out to end the frame.
 
Missouri (11-5) got its first two batters in the bottom of the 12^th on base as Austin James and Luke Mann drew back-to-back walks. Cameron Swanger then reached on a fielder's choice as NIU catcher Jacob Schroeder (Flossmoor, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) threw out James at third base. Peterson then singled to right field, bringing Mann around to score the game-winning run.
 
The game started as a pitcher's duel between NIU's Ryan Anderson (Palatine, Ill./McHenry C.C.) and Missouri's Spencer Juergens. Anderson did not allow a hit in the first two innings, while Juergens kept the game scoreless despite allowing three hits in the first three frames he pitched. Missouri got on the board in the bottom of the third when Mann led off with a home run over the centerfield fence to put the Tigers ahead 1-0. After allowing back-to-back walks, Anderson got out of the inning with a strikeout and a double play.
 
NIU (7-10) had a chance to tie the game in the top of the fourth. Larson drew a walk with one out. Dylan Lonteen (Peoria, Ill./Illinois Central College) followed with an infield single. Schroeder moved the runners into scoring position with a groundout to Swanger at first base. However, Juergens got a strikeout to end the Huskies' threat.
 
Anderson did his part to keep Missouri to one run. The senior retired 12 straight batters, including retiring the side on six pitches in the bottom of the sixth. The Huskies tied the game in the top of the seventh. Paddy McKermitt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) led off with a single to left field. Malik Peters (Calumet City, Ill./Mount Carmel) then put down a bunt to move McKermitt to second base and ended up reaching first as the throw from Missouri reliever Andrew Vail took Swanger off the bag.
 
After a strikeout, Vail hit Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) with a pitch to load the bases. Missouri went to the bullpen for Lukas Veinbergs, who threw a wild pitch with Brady Huebbe (Peru, Ill./Illinois Valley C.C.) at bat that brought McKermitt in to score and tie the game 1-1. Veinbergs struck out Huebbe and, after intentionally walking Dunham, got Larson to fly out to end the inning.
 
Anderson allowed just one run in 6.1 innings on two hits, striking out four batters with two walks. Huebbe was 2-for-6 at the plate, giving him five hits in the last three games and eight multi-hit games this season.
 
NIU opens a three-game series at Saint Louis on Friday, March 13 at 3 p.m.
 
--NIU--