AKRON, Ohio – The Northern Illinois University baseball team had a season-high 17 hits Friday afternoon in a 9-5 win over the Akron Zips at Skeeles Field.
"Today was a great team effort to get the win," said head coach
Mike Kunigonis. "Kyle [Seebach] gave us eight good innings on the mound and the bats came alive."
All 10 Huskies that went to the plate Friday had at least one hit. Sophomore designated hitter
Carlos Aranda (Santo Domingo, D.R./Ellsworth CC) was 4-for-4 with a run scored and a walk.
Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) was 2-for-4 from the leadoff spot with three RBI and two runs scored.
Andre Demetral (Rochester, Mich./Florence Darling Tech) was 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI.
Scott Combs (Northville, Mich./Michigan State) and
Jack Blazevich (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South) also had two hits in the ball game.
NIU (2-12, 2-1 MAC) broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the fifth. Demetral led off the inning by reaching on an error, then got to second on a Combs sacrifice bunt.
Jonathan Latham laced a single to left field to drive home Demetral and put the Huskies up 4-3.
The Huskies extended their lead in the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, Erato singled to right field to drive in
Malik Peters (Calumet City, Ill./Mount Carmel) and make the score 5-3. Demetral followed with a two-run double that gave NIU a four-run lead, 7-3.
Kyle Seebach (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle Twp.) kept the Huskies in front on the mound, throwing three straight scoreless innings from the fourth through the sixth.
Aaron Harper (Hemet, Calif./Mt. San Jacinto College) led off the top of the seventh inning with a home run, his second of the year, to make the score 8-3.
NIU tacked on another run in the top of the eighth when Erato scored from third on a passed ball to put the Huskies up 9-3. Akron answered with two runs in the bottom of the eighth, but
Matt Salomonson (Chicago, Ill./Notre Dame College Prep) threw a scoreless ninth to give NIU the 9-5 win.
"It was nice to see us limit Akron's opportunities during the game and see us take advantage of ours," Kunigonis said.
Akron (3-11, 2-3 MAC) struck first, putting a run on the board via an RBI groundout from Nick Arrivo that gave the Zips a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The Huskies answered Akron's run with three in the top of the second. Aranda started the rally with a two-out double down the left field line. Blazevich drove Aranda home with a single to right field, making the score 1-1.
Matt Barnes (Bloomington, Ill./Heartland CC) kept the inning alive with a base hit to right, advancing Blazevich to third base. Barnes then stole second, Erato to put the Huskies ahead 3-1 with a two-run single to left that cleared the bases. The Zips tied the game 3-3 in the bottom of the third.
Seebach earned his first win of the season on the mound, throwing a career-high eight innings. He allowed five runs, three of which were earned, on 10 hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
NIU and Akron will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. CT.
--NIU--
