DeKALB, IL - The Northern Illinois University baseball team had 10 hits on Saturday afternoon but mustered just one run in a 7-1 loss to the Western Michigan Broncos at Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt and Janice Owens Park.
 
"We tried to do much at the plate, and that's how you end up with 10 hits and just one run," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "Western's starter didn't let the delay affect him at all. He was right in the zone and got through eight full innings. We just didn't do as a good of a job today of sticking to our approach."
 
NIU (7-25, 4-10 MAC) and Western Michigan played a scoreless first inning before a 53-minute weather delay halted proceedings. The Broncos put the first run of the game on the board in the top of the second inning. With a runner at second and two outs, designated hitter Dylan Nevar hit a single to right field to bring home Cade Sullivan and put Western Michigan ahead 1-0. The Broncos loaded the bases on a walk and hit by pitch, but Matt Salomonson (Chicago, Ill./Notre Dame College Prep) got Will Morrison to ground out to end the threat.
 
The Huskies got their first hit of the game in the bottom of the second on a ringing double from first baseman Andrew Smart (Evanston, Ill./Oakton CC). He was left at second base after back-to-back strikeouts from Western Michigan starting pitcher Dane Ambrustmacher. The Broncos extended their lead in the top of the fourth when a Greg Budig sacrifice fly scored Nevar and made the score 2-0. NIU had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the inning when walks to Tyler Thierry (Bloomington, Ill./Heartland CC) and Christian Seegers (Schaumburg, Ill./Creighton) gave the Huskies two runners on base with two outs. Malik Peters (Calumet City, Ill./Mount Carmel) drove a ball to left field but right at Jackson Kitchen to end the inning.
 
Western Michigan (10-23, 7-7 MAC) tacked on another run in the sixth when a Gavin Doyle two-out infield single drove in Kitchen and made the score 3-0. The Huskies got back-to-back singles from Aaron Harper (Hemet, Calif./Mt. San Jacinto CC) and Colin Summerhill (Chicago, Ill./Troy) with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, and once again Ambrustmacher got out of the jam with a flyout.
 
The Broncos broke the game open with two runs in the seventh and two more in the ninth to go up 7-0. The Huskies scored their lone run of the game in the bottom of the ninth, as a two-out infield single by Peters drove home Thierry to make the final score 7-1.
 
Ambrustmacher threw eight shutout innings for Western Michigan, scattering seven hits with two walks and nine strikeouts. Harper and Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) each had two hits for the second straight game.
 
"We need to be ready to play tomorrow," Kunigonis said. "It's not an oddity to go into a Sunday 1-1. It's going to be a great day with the dedication tomorrow. Either way, tomorrow will be a success because we get to honor Coach Owens and what he's done for our program and for the university. It's going to be a fantastic day."
 
NIU will officially dedicate the home of NIU Baseball as Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt and Janice Owens Park tomorrow, Sunday, April 16, with a ceremony that will take place prior to the final game of the Huskies' series finale against Western Michigan. The dedication will take place - rain or shine - beginning at 11:15 a.m. in the tent located behind the first base dugout. First pitch Sunday will be at 12:05 p.m.
 
NIU President Lisa Freeman, former Board of Trustees chair Wheeler Coleman, NIU Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean Frazier as well as NIU head baseball coach Mike Kunigonis and Mrs. Janice Owens, the wife of the late Walt Owens, will all make remarks during the ceremony.
 
--NIU--