BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The Northern Illinois University baseball team came alive for 24 runs on Sunday afternoon, sweeping a doubleheader against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Sunday afternoon at Nick Denes. The Huskies won game one 18-10 in seven innings and the nightcap 6-5 in 10 innings.

"Today was a toughness test and we passed with flying colors," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "Today we saw the team we knew we had for the last seven months. I'm proud of these guys and our coaching staff for grinding it out and playing Huskieball."

WKU (9-4) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of game one on a Tristin Garcia RBI single and a Ty Batusich sacrifice fly. The Hilltoppers scored five more runs in the second to take a 7-0 lead. The Huskies got on the board in the top of the third. Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis.) led off with a walk, then stole second base and reached third on a throwing error by the catcher Batusich. Aaron Harper (Hemet, Calif.) drove in Erato with a one-out RBI single for the Huskies' first run. After a walk to Colin Summerhill (Chicago, Ill.) and Mason Kelley (Mt. Washington, Ky.) loaded the bases, Andrew Smart (Evanston, Ill.) delivered a two-run single up the middle to make the score 7-3.

NIU (3-8) closed within two runs in the top of the fourth. With runners at second and third and one away Harper hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to drive in Erato from third and make the score 7-4. Summerhill followed with a run-scoring single up the middle to get the score to 7-5.

The Hilltoppers took a 9-5 lead in the bottom of the fourth before NIU came roaring back in the top of the fifth. Smart led off with a double and got to third on a Malik Peters (Calumet City, Ill.) double. Kaden Kosobucki (West De Pere, Wis.) drove a single up the middle to bring in Smart and make the score 9-6. Erato brought in Peters on a fielder's choice, beating out the relay from second base as the score moved to 9-7. He then stole second as Andre Demetral (Rochester, Mich.) drew a walk. Harper hit a single to right field to load the bases. NIU tied the game 9-9 as both Summerhill and Parker Shupe (Johnston, Iowa) were hit by pitches with the bases loaded to drive in two runs. Kelley put NIU ahead 10-9 with a sacrifice fly that scored Harper from third base. In his second at-bat of the inning, Smart hit a two-run triple to right field to give NIU a 12-9 lead.

WKU put a run on the board in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 12-10. NIU scored six insurance runs in the top of the seventh, three on a Peters home run, to take an 18-10 lead. Nick Bonk (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) locked up the win with two scoreless innings of relief, striking out three Hilltoppers.

Harper was 4-for-4 in the opener with three RBI and three runs scored. Smart was 3-for-4 with five RBI. Peters and Summerhill each had two hits and combined to drive in five runs. The 18 runs were the most scored in an NIU victory since March 9, 2017 when the Huskies won at Southern Illinois 17-2.

NIU got off to a fast start in the nightcap. The Huskies loaded the bases on an error that allowed Erato to reach, a Demetral single and a Harper walk. Kelley then singled up the middle to drive in two runs and put the Huskies ahead 2-0. WKU put a run on the board in the bottom of the second on a Ricardoj Leonett RBI single, making the score 2-1. NIU starting pitcher Dominic Hann (Washington, Mich.) kept the Huskies in the lead, stranding three Hilltoppers on base in the third and fourth innings combined.

The Huskies extended their lead in the top of the fifth. With Erato at third following a lead-off single and Kelley at first and two outs, Smart reached on an error by WKU second baseman Aidan Gilroy which scored Erato and put NIU up 3-1. The Huskies scored two runs in the top of the sixth on an Erato RBI base hit and an error which allowed Jake Nelson () to score from third to move their lead to four, 5-1.

WKU scored two runs in the seventh on a two-RBI Kirk Liebert triple, then tied the game 5-5 on a two-run double off the bat of Gilroy in the eighth. The game went to extra innings with NIU breaking the tie in the top of the 10th. With Shupe at first and one out, Kosobucki hit a single to right field to get Shupe to third. Jake Nelson (Altoona, Wis.) put down a squeeze bunt to drive home Shupe and make the score 6-5. Bonk came in from the bullpen in the bottom of the 10th and retired the WKU side in order to secure the doubleheader sweep.

Erato was 2-for-6 in the nightcap with two runs scored and two stolen bases. Demetral also had two hits. Reliever Brandon Doty (Lincoln, Neb.) earned the win in his NIU debut, throwing a scoreless ninth. Hann allowed one run in five innings, striking out three Hilltoppers and scattering six hits.

NIU is next in action on Tuesday, March 7 when the Huskies take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis at 6 PM CT.

—NIU—