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March 12, 2021: During the game three between the Northern Illinois Huskies and the Rice Owls at Reckling Park in Houston, Texas. (Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker | NIU Athletics)
Maria Lysaker
4
Northern Illinois NIU 4-11
8
Winner Kent State KENTST 7-8
Northern Illinois NIU
4-11
4
Final
8
Kent State KENTST
7-8
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Northern Illinois NIU 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 4 9 1
Kent State KENTST 2 1 2 1 0 0 2 0 X 8 11 1

W: RIPPL, MAX (2-1) L: Turelli, Paul (0-2) S: DELL, RICHIE (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

NIU Baseball Drops Series Finale At Kent State

KENT, OH – The Northern Illinois University baseball team dropped its first conference game of the 2021 season Sunday afternoon as the Kent State Golden Flashes won the finale of the weekend series 8-4 at Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium.
 
"Today was a tough ending to an otherwise very good weekend", said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "Winning a weekend series is difficult during a normal three-game series. To win a four-game series over a team like Kent State with their tradition is extremely difficult. I'm very happy with how we competed all weekend."
 
Kent State (7-8, 4-11 MAC) opened the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the first. NIU starting pitcher Paul Turelli (Lake Forest, Ill./Heartland C.C.) got off to a fast start, striking out Cam Touchette and Ben Carew. Michael Turner got the first hit of the game with a triple, then scored on a Justin Miknis triple to make the score 1-0. Mack Timbrook put the score at 2-0 with an RBI double to right field. The Golden Flashes took a 3-0 lead in the second inning on a Grant Vera fielder's choice that drove in Kevin Dobos.
 
NIU (4-11, 3-1 MAC) got on the board in the top of the third. With one out in the inning, Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) and Brendan Joyce (South Elgin, Ill./Parkland College) hit back-to-back singles off Kent State starter Max Rippl. After a Dylan Lonteen (Peoria, Ill./Illinois Central College) flyout, Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) hit a double to right field that scored Erato to make the score 3-1. Joyce tried to make the score 3-2 but was thrown out at home plate by Touchette.
 
The Golden Flashes answered NIU's run with two in the bottom of the third. Turner led off with a home run over the right field fence to put Kent State ahead 4-1. Collin Matthews scored from third on a balk with two outs to put the score at 5-1. Kent State tacked on one more run in the fourth and two in the seventh to take an 8-1 lead.
 
The Huskies made one last rally in the top of the eighth. Joyce was hit by a pitch leading off the inning. Lonteen then launched his first home run of the season over the left field fence to make the score 8-3. Two batters later Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) hit his third home run of the year to make the score 8-4. Pinch-hitter Jack Anderson (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) and Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage) drew back-to-back walks to give the Huskies runners at first and second with one out. Kent State turned to Richie Dell out of the bullpen who retired Alex Rodriguez (Cudahy, Wis./Cudahy) and Paddy McKermitt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) to get out of the inning. Dell retired the side in the ninth to lock up the win for Kent State to salvage one game from the four-game series.
 
"We need to continue our good vibes and have a good week of practice before we head down to another tough place to play in Miami," Kunigonis said.
 
Eight different Huskies had a hit in the game with McKermitt going 2-for-4. Turelli took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits in two-plus innings with four strikeouts. Rippl struck out five over five innings with six hits for the win.
 
NIU goes back on the road next weekend for a four-game series against the Miami RedHawks. The series begins on Friday, March 26 at 4 p.m.
 
--NIU--
 
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