DeKalb, Ill. – Colin Summerhill's (Chicago, Ill./Troy) three RBI jack put an exclamation point on the Northern Illinois University baseball team's 12-1 triumph over Milwaukee Tuesday afternoon at Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt and Janice Owens Park. The home finale victory marked the Huskies' second win in a row.
On the mound,
Conner Lutes (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) tossed his first collegiate win after pitching three-of-seven innings in the run-rule win.
NIU wasted no time as
Mason Kelley (Mt. Washington, Ky./Schoolcraft College) and
Malik Peters (Calumet City, Ill./Mount Carmel) helped the Huskies take a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Kelly notched a two RBI fielder's choice while, two at-bats later, Peters belted an RBI single to right field, scoring Kelley with ease.
After a scoreless second frame, the Huskies increased their lead to 4-0 after Summerhill batted in
Andre Demetral (Rochester, Mich./Florence Darling Tech), who previously walked, with a two-base knock to left field. Later in the inning, Peters logged an RBI groundout as
Aaron Harper (Hemet, Calif./Mt. San Jacinto College) trotted across home plate after he singled through the left side earlier.
An
Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) RBI triple and Demetral's sacrifice fly in the fourth inning gave NIU a 7-0 lead before Milwaukee erased the shutout with a solo homer in the fifth.
The Huskies shook the run off easily though and exploded for a five-run sixth inning. Demetral got things going with his second sac fly of the ballgame. Then,
Spencer Bartel (Sun Prairie, Wis./Madison College) delivered an RBI single, scoring
Jake Nelson (Altoona, Wis./Madison College) who singled through the right side three at-bats prior.
Summerhill followed with his 11
th dinger of the season, scoring himself, Bartel, and Erato. The home run put away the Panthers soundly as NIU won the contest, 12-1.
NIU will end the 2023 campaign on the road this Thursday-Saturday (May 18-20) as it travels to Eastern Michigan for a three-game series. Game one starts at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday at Oestrike Stadium.