CARBONDALE, IL – Senior shortstop Dylan Lonteen (Peoria, Ill./Illinois Central College) put the Northern Illinois University baseball team ahead 3-2 of the Southern Illinois University in the top of the ninth inning Saturday afternoon at Itchy Jones Stadium, but the Salukis scored twice in the bottom half of the final inning to walk off with the 4-3 win.
 
"Offensively, we had a few chances early that couldn't capitalize on," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "We never gave up and battled back in the ninth to take a lead. Our group battles and fights the entire game. We'll come back tomorrow to get a win."
 
NIU (7-7) trailed 2-0 heading into the top of the ninth. The Huskies started the rally with back-to-back singles from Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) and Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage). After a failed sacrifice for the first out, Lonteen launched his first home run of the year over the left field fence to give the Huskies a 3-2 lead. Brendan Joyce (South Elgin, Ill./Parkland College) followed with a single to keep the order moving. He then stole second as Nick Drobushevich (Moline, Ill./Moline) drew a walk to give runners at first and second with one out. Joyce then was picked off by SIU relief pitcher Kyle Dixon, who then got Matt Barnes (Bloomington, Ill./Heartland C.C.) to ground out to end the inning.
 
SIU (9-6) quickly tied the game at three in the bottom of the ninth. Nick Neville led off with a single and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt from J.T. Weber. Philip Archer then hit a single up the middle to drive in Neville. Pinch-hitter Lucas Danielewicz then hit a single to left center that moved pinch runner Addison Fugitt to third base. Paul Turelli (Lake Forest, Ill./Heartland C.C.) then came in from the NIU bullpen to face Austin Ulick. Ulick hit a soft roller to Larson at first base, who couldn't get the throw home in time to put out Fugitt who was running on contact to win the game 4-3.
 
After two scoreless innings, the Huskies had a chance to get on the board in the third. NIU had runners at second and third with one out but SIU starting pitcher Brad Harrison struck out Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) and got Brady Huebbe (Peru, Ill./Illinois Valley C.C.) to ground out to end the threat. The Salukis took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third on a bases-loaded groundout. SIU took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth on another RBI groundout.
 
NIU starting pitcher Brandon McPherson (Chicago, Ill./Wabash Valley College) allowed just those two runs in 5.2 innings on five hits, walking four while striking out a season-high eight batters. Tristan Michaels (Barrington, Ill./Triton College) entered the game in the bottom of the sixth with runners at second and third with two outs and struck out Brad Hudson looking to keep the game at 2-0.
 
Dunham and Larson were both 2-for-4 with a run scored on Saturday. Joyce was also 2-for-4.
 
The two teams wrap up their weekend series Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
--NIU--