AKRON, Ohio - The Northern Illinois University baseball team was one out away from forcing extra innings Sunday against the Akron Zips at Skeeles Field, but the Zips drew three free passes and scored the winning run on a passed ball to win 2-1 and avoid a sweep by the Huskies.

"When you look at the big picture, we're in a good position winning our first two MAC [Mid-American Conference] series," said head coach Ryan Copeland. "We have a tough one coming up at home next weekend against Miami. When you look at the micro level, today was disappointing. Opportunities to sweep are rare. We feel like this one got away from us with our lack of execution in crucial spots. I like where we're at but we're not where we want to be moving forward."

Akron (4-14, 1-5 MAC) opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning. M Bowman led off with a single to left centerfield. NIU starting pitcher Adam Brouwer (Tinley Park, Ill./Illinois-Springfield) then hit Evan Bottone and Jack Poist with pitches to load the bases. Charlie Rhee grounded into a double play that scored Bowman to make the score 1-0. Brouwer got out of the inning with a strikeout of Michael Sprockett, his fourth of the game up to that point.

NIU (7-13, 4-2 MAC) had a chance to tie the game in the top of the fourth. Colin Summerhill (Chicago, Ill./Troy) led off with a single through the right side of the infield. Mason Kelley (Mt. Washington, Ky./Schoolcraft College) then reached on an error by Akron shortstop Nicky Sackett. Zips starting pitcher Spencer Atkins got Cooper Cohn (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) to hit into a double play and got a strikeout to end the threat. The Huskies got two hits in the fifth on back-to-back two-out singles from Jake Nelson (Altoona, Wis./Madison College) and Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton), but Atkins got a groundout to end the inning.

After allowing the run in the second, Brouwer threw four straight scoreless innings. The redshirt-sophomore allowed one hit in that stretch, striking out three Zips while stranding five runners on base. The Huskies put a run on the board for their starter in the top of the seventh. With two outs, Christian Seegers (Schaumburg, Ill./Creighton) launched a double to left field. Nelson then singled to centerfield, bringing home Seegers to tie the game 1-1.

"Jake keeps getting better and better as the season goes on," Copeland said about the Huskies' second baseman. "He keeps his head down, works hard and just knows how to come up big when we need it."

The Zips had a chance to take back the lead in the bottom of the seventh. Charlie Schebler singled up the middle with one out off of NIU reliever Reagan Klawiter (Verona, Wis./Madison College). Klawiter bounced back to strikeout Sam Seeker for the second out. Sam Pederson (Verona, Wis./McHenry County College) then entered the game to face Sackett, who knocked a base hit to centerfield. A passed ball advanced the runners to second and third. Pederson got NIU out of the inning unscathed by getting Breydan Cavey to groundout to Kelley at first.

The Huskies had an opportunity to break the tie in the top of the ninth. Cohn singled on a ball that got caught in the wind and went away from a diving Akron RF, reaching second base with one out. CJ Cepicky (St. Louis, Mo./Missouri) came on to pinch run for Cohn and got to third on a JP Gauthier (De Pere, Wis./Illinois State) single to left center. Charlie Parcell (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) attempted a squeeze bunt to bring in the go-ahead run but it went right to Akron pitcher Yassir Kahook who threw home to put out Gautheir for the second out. Seegers then flew out to end the inning.

Jacob Draeger (Johnston, Iowa/Des Moines Area CC) retired the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the ninth. He then walked Seeker and Sackett, loading the bases by hitting Cavey. A passed ball allowed Seeker to score the winning run, giving Akron the 2-1 victory.

Brouwer threw a season-high six innings on Sunday, allowing one run on two hits and two walks with a season-high seven strikeouts. Nelson was 2-for-3 with an RBI. The senior was 6-for-12 at the plate in the series. Erato hit .400 in the series with a .600 on-base percentage after going 2-for-3 with a walk on Sunday.

The Huskies head to Normal, Ill. on Wednesday, March 20 to take on Illinois State. First pitch from Duffy Bass Field is at 5 p.m. CT.

—NIU—