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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 )
Maria Lysaker
2
Northern Illinois NIU 3-14
4
Winner Akron AKR 5-12
Northern Illinois NIU
3-14
2
Final
4
Akron AKR
5-12
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Northern Illinois NIU 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 4 0
Akron AKR 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 X 4 6 2

W: Hickert (0-0) L: Lasiewicz, Michael (0-3) S: Dietrich (0)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Huskies Split Series At Akron, Fall 4-2 Sunday

Combs Drives In Both NIU Runs, Hits First Home Run Of Season

AKRON, Ohio - The Northern Illinois University baseball team split its four-game series against the Akron Zips after Akron's 4-2 win Sunday afternoon at Skeeles Field.
 
After a scoreless first two innings, Akron opened the scoring in the bottom of the third. Michael Sprockett led off with a walk, followed by Jerry Reinhart getting hit by a Michael Lasiewicz (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) pitch. An Ian Pennington sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position. Tate Wargo grounded out to Andre Demetral (Rochester, Mich./Florence Darling Tech) at shortstop to drive in Sprockett and make the score 1-0. Hara put the Zips up 2-0 with an RBI triple, Akron's first hit of the ballgame.
 
NIU (3-14, 3-3 MAC) got a run back in the top of the fourth. Demetral led off with a walk and got to second on a passed ball. Carlos Aranda (Santo Domingo, D.R./Ellsworth CC) moved him to third on a groundout and Scott Combs (Northville, Mich./Michigan State) drove Demetral home with a sacrifice fly to make the score 2-1.
 
Akron (5-12, 4-4 MAC) extended its lead in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run single by Sprockett, giving the Zips a 4-1 lead. Combs cut the lead to 4-2 with a lead-off home run in the top of the seventh. The Huskies had a chance to tie the game later in the inning with runners at first and second and only one out, but Akron reliever Brett Dietrich got Paddy McKermitt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) to line into a double play to end the inning. NIU had a chance to tie the game in the ninth, sending the tying run to the plate twice. Dietrich finished off the game by getting a ground out and strikeout to give Akron the win.
 
"We needed to be better all around today," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "Free bases and a lick of timely hitting was the difference in the game."
 
NIU was held to four hits on the day. Lasiewicz allowed two runs over four innings on two hits.
Brady Biglin earned the win in relief for Akron, allowing one run in 2.1 innings. Dietrich allowed one hit over the final 2.2 innings to get the save.
 
The Huskies are in action on Tuesday, March 22 when they head to #19 Purdue to face the Boilermakers. First pitch at Alexander Field is set for 3 p.m. NIU plays its first home games of the season March 25-27 against Kent State at Ralph McKinzie Field.
 
—NIU—
 
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