DeKALB, IL - The Northern Illinois University baseball team opened its weekend series against the Ohio Bobcats on Friday with an 11-2 loss at Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt and Janice Owens Park.
 
It was the first game on the newly installed artificial turf infield at the Huskies' ballpark. Janice Owens, the wife of former NIU head baseball coach Walt Owens, threw out the first pitch prior to Friday's home opener.
 
"We've been putting this together since I got here and to see it all come to fruition is really nice," said head coach Mike Kunigonis about the newly renovated home of Huskie Baseball. "It was exciting to have Janice here and have the park named after her and her late husband Walt. I wish we could have done more for them today, but regardless this had been a long time coming and we're super excited for the facility."
 
Ohio (6-13, 4-3 MAC) sent 11 batters to the plate in the top of the first, scoring five runs off of NIU starting pitcher Matt Salomonson (Chicago, Ill./Notre Dame College Prep). The Bobcats tacked on three runs in the top of the second to go up 8-0.
 
NIU (4-16, 1-6 MAC) got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third. Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) led off with a single and stole second base. After a groundout advanced Erato to third, Aaron Harper (Hemet, Calif./Mt. San Jacinto College) hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to drive home Erato and make the score 8-1.
 
After allowing three runs in the top of the second, NIU reliever Mason Ruh (Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran HS) mowed down the Bobcats. He retired the side in the third, fourth and fifth innings to keep Ohio off the scoreboard. The Huskies put another run on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning. Andrew Smart (Evanston, Ill./Oakton CC) led off with a single to left field. A passed ball got Smart to second base. Designated Hitter Kaden Kosobucki (West De Pere, Wis./West De Pere) ripped a single to left to bring in Smart and get NIU to 8-2.
 
The Huskies had a chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the sixth. NIU loaded the bases on singles by Smart and Colin Summerhill (Chicago, Ill./Troy) and a one-out walk to Tyler Thierry (Bloomington, Ill./Heartland CC). Ohio starting pitcher Luke Olson got Kosobucki to hit a one-hopper back to him on the mound for a fielder's choice to put out Summerhill at home plate. Mason Kelley (Mt. Washington, Ky./Schoolcraft College) flew out to end the inning.
 
Ruh had retired 13 straight Bobcats at one point in the game, but Will Sturek hit a lead-off home run in the top of the seventh to make the score 9-2. The sophomore reliever struck out the next three Ohio batters, finishing the day with nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings out of the bullpen. NIU loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth against Ohio reliever Jacob Tate but did not score a run. Ohio added single runs in the eighth and ninth to win 11-2 and take the series opener.
 
"Mason was awesome," Kunigonis said. "He came out there and competed and gave us an opportunity to win, but we just couldn't get it done for him. We have to execute better with runners in scoring position and be ready to go tomorrow."
 
Summerhill and Smart each had two hits in the game for NIU. Erato stole his team-leading 12^th base of the season. Gideon Antle and Cole Williams each drove in three runs for Ohio.
 
Game two of the weekend series has been pushed back due to the threat of overnight inclement weather. Saturday's game will now be at 2:30 p.m. CT instead of the originally scheduled 1 p.m.
 
--NIU--