BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The Northern Illinois University baseball team attempted two ninth-inning comebacks in Saturday's doubleheader against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Nick Denes Field, but the Hilltoppers came away with the sweep by scores of 9-8 and 7-5.

"We battled to the end in both games today," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "We were one hit, one pitch or one play away from being on the other side of each game. It was nice to see the bats come out today but we need to find ways to have better quality at-bats from first pitch on."

WKU (9-2) led 3-0 through two innings in game one. NIU got on the board in the top of the third on solo home runs from Colin Summerhill (Chicago, Ill.) and Mason Kelley (Mt. Washington, Ky.) to make the score 3-2. The Hilltoppers scored six runs in the fourth and added another in the fifth to go up 9-2.

The Huskies started a late game rally with three runs in the eighth. Kelley was hit by a pitch to keep the inning alive, followed by an Aaron Harper (Hemet, Calif.) walk. Andre Demetral (Rochester, Mich.) and Malik Peters (Calumet City, Ill.) hit back-to-back RBI singles to make the score 9-4. Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis.) drew a walk to load the bases. Kaden Kosobucki (West De Pere, Wis.) drove in NIU's fifth run with a walk to get NIU within four, 9-5.

NIU (1-8) put its first two batters on base in the ninth with a Summerhill single and Andrew Smart (Evanston, Ill.) hit by pitch. After a strikeout, Harper hit a three-run home run over the left centerfield fence to make the score 9-8. WKU turned the ball over to CJ Weins who got the final two outs to lock up the game one win.

Summerhill was 3-for-5 in game one with a home run as Harper went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Mason Ruh (Milwaukee, Wis.) allowed one run in 4.2 innings of relief.

WKU got on the board first in game two, putting a run on the board in the bottom of the third. Kirk Liebert led off with a double, then reached third base on an AJ Fiechter sacrifice bunt. Ty Crittenberger grounded out to Demetral to bring in Liebert for the game's first run.

NIU answered right back in the top of the fourth. Kosobucki knocked a base hit through the left side with one out, followed by a walk by Kelley. Spencer Bartel (Sun Prairie, Wis.) drove in Kosobucki with a single up the middle which tied the game 1-1. The Huskies took the lead in the fifth. Peters led off with a walk, getting to third base on an Erato double. Harper drove in Peters on a groundout to Aidan Gilroy at third base to give the Huskies' a 2-1 lead.

The Hilltoppers took back the advantage in the bottom of the fifth. With runners at second and third and one away, Liebert scored on a Matt Salomonson (Chicago, Ill.) wild pitch to tie the game 2-2. Drew Reckart hit a sacrifice fly to right field tor bring in Crittenberger and give WKU a 3-2 lead. WKU added two runs in the sixth and two in the eighth to go up 7-2.

Demetral started the potential comeback in the ninth with a one-out single. After a strikeout put NIU on its final out, Erato was hit by a pitch. Just like in game one, Harper stepped up to the plate and delivered a three-run shot over the left field wall to make the score 7-5. WKU's Evan Jones got Summerhill to ground out to end the game and secure the doubleheader sweep.

Harper drove in four runs in the nightcap. Erato was 2-for-3 at the top of the lineup card with a double and a walk.

NIU and WKU will play another doubleheader on Sunday, March 5 to wrap up the weekend. The two teams will play a seven-inning game at 11 a.m. CT followed by a nine-inning game.

—NIU—