DeKALB, IL - The Northern Illinois University baseball scored in each of the first four innings Sunday afternoon to build a 10-4 lead but the Huskies could not hold off the Toledo Rockets in an 18-12 loss at Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt and Janice Owens Park on Senior Day.
 
NIU (8-38, 4-19 MAC) took the lead in the bottom of the first after Toledo put a run on the board in the top half. Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) led off with a walk and scored on a double by Andre Demetral (Rochester, Mich./Florence Darling Tech) that tied the game. With one out Colin Summerhill launched a two-run home run over the left centerfield fence, his 10^th of the season, to give NIU a 3-1 lead. The Huskies had runners at second and third with two outs when an error by Toledo third baseman Troy Sudbrook allowed Jake Nelson (Altoona, Wis./Madison College) to score and extend the advantage to 4-1.
 
Toledo (23-24, 11-13 MAC) tied the game in the top of the second when a Jeron Williams three-run home run leveled the game 4-4. The Huskies broke that tie with an RBI single off the bat of Aaron Harper (Hemet, Calif./Mt. San Jacinto CC) in the bottom of the inning to make the score 5-4. NIU grew its lead to 8-4 in the bottom of the third. With the bases loaded and no outs, Demetral laced a ball off the left field wall for a triple, clearing the bases for three RBI. The Huskies tacked on two more runs in the fourth, one coming on a sacrifice fly by senior Jack Anderson (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South), to go up 10-4.
 
The Rockets came roaring back in the fifth. Sparked by a three-run home run from Mason Sykes, Toledo scored seven runs and sent 11 batters to the plate to take an 11-10 lead. Toledo relief pitcher AJ Schunk made that lead hold up, allowing just one hit in his 2.2 innings of work. The Rockets scored twice in the sixth and added five more runs in the seventh to take an 18-10 lead.
 
The Huskies put two runs on the board in the bottom of the eighth. Senior Malik Peters (Calumet City, Ill./Mount Carmel) led off with a walk, followed by a Nelson double. Brandon Johnson (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle Township) also drew a walk which loaded the bases. Anderson brought in Peters with the third walk of the inning, making the score 18-11. A passed ball allowed Nelson to score NIU's 12^th run. Toledo's Kyle Music held the Huskies at 12 runs, getting back-to-back strikeouts to end the eighth and working around a leadoff double by Summerhill in the ninth to lock up the series sweep.
 
"We did a good job offensively today, but our Achillies' heel this season has been giving up the big inning," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "Our guys didn't quit and we were one hit away in the eighth from making it really interesting."
 
Prior to the game, NIU honored the seven seniors on this season's team - Anderson, Johnson, Peters, Tyler Thierry (Bloomington, Ill./Heartland CC), Brandon McPherson (Chicago, Ill./Wabash Valley College), Brandon Doty (Lincoln, Neb./New Mexico State), and Nick Bonk (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Stevenson). Anderson drove in two runs in the game as Johnson was 2-for-5 at the plate.
 
"All seven of those guys have made an impact on the program during their time here," Kunigonis said. "They've stuck it out through some tough times, and that's a testament to them that they're battlers and grinders."
 
NIU is next in action on Friday, May 12 when it opens a three-game Mid-American Conference series at Bowling Green. First pitch against the Falcons is at 2 p.m. CT.
 
--NIU--