YPSILANTI, MI – The Northern Illinois University baseball team split a doubleheader Saturday against the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Oestrike Stadium. The Huskies hung on to win the nightcap 5-3 after dropping the opener 3-2.
 
NIU (13-32, 12-19 MAC) opened the scoring in game two in the top of the third. Paddy McKermitt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) led off the inning by getting hit by a Cameron Wagoner pitch. He then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Wagoner then walked Brendan Joyce (South Elgin, Ill./Parkland College). Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) followed by reaching on a bunt single, with a Wagoner error allowing McKermitt to score and put the Huskies ahead 1-0.
 
Starting pitcher Ryan Anderson (Palatine, Ill./McHenry C.C.) did his part to keep the Huskies in front. The right-hander retired the side in the second, third, and fourth innings to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard. He got two more runs of support in the top of the fifth. With runners at second and third and two away, Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage) cleared the bases with a two-run double that made the score 3-0. Joyce put NIU ahead 4-0 in the sixth with an RBI double. He later scored on an error to make the score 5-0.
 
Eastern Michigan (20-21, 14-16 MAC) got on the board in the top of the seventh when a Taylor Hopkins double scored Will Oberg to make the score 5-1. After a Nick Jones walk from reliever Nate Thomas (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian), Christian Bault drove in two runs with a single to right field to get the Eagles within two 5-3. After a flyout for the second out of the inning, Eli Gora drew a walk to load the bases. Thomas slammed the door on an Eastern Michigan comeback by striking out Mike Monahan looking to end the game.
 
"It was a great bounce back win in game two," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "Ryan was fantastic once again and Nate came in to close the door."
 
Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) was 3-for-4 in game two with a run scored. Anderson struck out a career-high seven batters in 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits for his third consecutive win.
 
The Eagles took an early 1-0 lead in game on a Gabe Denton RBI double. NIU got its first hit off of Justin Meis in the top of the fourth on a one-out Smith single. Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) followed with a single of his own, which extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
 
The Huskies tied the game 1-1 in the top of the fifth inning. Designated Hitter Nick Drobushevich (Moline, Ill./Moline) led off with a triple down the left field line. McKermitt then laced a single to right field, driving in Drobushevich to draw NIU level. Eastern Michigan took back the lead in the bottom of the frame when Hopkins led off with a home run over the centerfield wall gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead. Denton extended the lead with his second RBI double of the game to make the score 3-1.
 
NIU made the score 3-2 in the top of the seventh. After back-to-back singles from Jordan Larson and Drobushevich gave the Huskies runners at the corners, pinch-hitter Brandon Johnson (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle Twp.) scored Larson on a fielder's choice that put out Drobushevich at second base. Joyce then drew a walk to move the tying run to second base with one out. Trevor House came in from the Eastern Michigan bullpen and retired Eric Erato and Matt Barnes to lock up the 3-2 Eagles win.
 
"We battled all day and were a hit away from walking out of here with two wins today," Kunigonis said. "Eastern Michigan is a very good team and we need to be ready to go tomorrow to even the series."
 
The Huskies and Eagles wrap up their weekend series on Sunday at 12 p.m.
 
--NIU--