MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Northern Illinois University baseball team held an early lead over the Minnesota Golden Gophers Tuesday night at U.S. Bank Stadium, but could not hold off the hosts in a 5-3 defeat.
"It was a great opportunity to play at U.S. Bank Stadium," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "We had an even better opportunity to get a win on the road over a Power-Five school. We fought hard and worked late in the game but couldn't get the big hit when we needed it."
NIU (3-9) scored first with two outs in the third inning. Malik Peters (Calumet City, Ill.) started the rally with a single to centerfield, followed by an Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis.) double that drove home Peters for the Huskies' first run. Andre Demetral (Rochester, Mich.) followed with the third straight hit of the inning, a single through the left side of the infield that scored Erato to put the Huskies up 2-0.
Minnesota (1-11) tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. With runners at the corners and no outs Mezzenga grounded out to Jake Nelson (Altoona, Wis.) at second base to drive in the first run for the Golden Gophers and cut NIU's lead to 2-1. After a foul out, Brady Counsell stole third and scored on a throwing error by Huskies reliever Tommy Meyer (Wauwatosa, Wis.) to make the score 2-2.
The Huskies had a chance to take back the lead in the top of the fifth. Nelson and Mason Kelley (Mt. Washington, Ky.) started the inning with back-to-back hits. Peters then hit into a fielder's choice for the first out with Kelley put out at third. Minnesota got out of the inning by inducing a double play. Jackson Stewart (Urbandale, Iowa) kept the game tied in the bottom of the inning, stranding two runners on base.
The Golden Gophers took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth as Riley Swenson hit a two-run home run from Swenson with two outs. Minnesota tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh on a Ike Mezzenga RBI single, making the score 5-2.
NIU got a run back in the top of the eighth. Peters led off with a single down the left field line, followed by a walk to Erato. The duo advanced a base each on a wild pitch with one out. Aaron Harper (Hemet, Calif.) then brought in Peters on a groundout to Counsell at second base, making the score 5-3. With Erato at third, Colin Summerhill (Chicago, Ill.) drew a walk to put the tying run on base. Minnesota's Caden Capomaccio got out of the inning by getting Andrew Smart (Evanston, Ill.) to ground out. The Golden Gophers brought in Seth Clausen in the ninth, who retired the Huskies in order to wrap up the win.
Erato was 2-for-3 at the top of the lineup for the Huskies with an RBI, a run and a walk. Peters was also 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Conner Lutes (Libertyville, Ill.) started the game on the mound for NIU and threw two scoreless innings.
"We're playing tough right now and we need to continue to do that going into league play," Kunigonis said. "This group is ready to rise to challenge."
NIU opens Mid-American Conference play on Friday, March 10 with the first game of a three-game series at Kent State. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. CT.
—NIU—
