OXFORD, Ohio - For the second straight game the Miami RedHawks' bullpen stymied the Northern Illinois University baseball team as the Huskies fell 7-4 on Saturday afternoon at McKie Field at Hayden Field.

"We haven't had an answer for their bullpen arms," said head coach Ryan Copeland. "I think we've done a good job with handling their starter, but it's hard to explain. When you look at the box scores and think about the game early on, you'd like to think you come out with a couple wins when you chase the starter early but that just hasn't been the case. Their guys deserve credit for that but we have to find a way to be better offensively".

Miami (9-12, 4-4 MAC) scored three runs in the first two innings off of NIU starting pitcher Tommy Meyer (Wauwatosa, Wis./Wauwatosa East), with two in the second on a sacrifice bunt and a bases loaded walk. Meyer left the bases loaded in both innings, recording three of his six strikeouts in those first two frames. The Huskies got on the board in the bottom of the second. JP Gauthier (De Pere, Wis./Illinois State) led off with a walk, reaching second on a one-out single by catcher Cooper Cohn (McHenry, Ill./McHenry). After a fielder's choice gave NIU runners at the corners with two outs, CJ Cepicky (St. Louis, Mo./Missouri) hit a single up the middle to score Gauthier and make the score 3-1.

NIU (7-16, 4-4 MAC) took the lead in the bottom of the third after two more strikeouts from Meyer in a scoreless top of the inning. With one out, the Huskies strung together four straight hits. Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) started the rally with a single to right field. Jake Nelson (Altoona, Wis./Madison College) then doubled to left field with Erato scoring all the way from first to make the score 3-2. Colin Summerhill (Chicago, Ill./Troy) tied the game at 3-3 with his double down the left field line, scoring Nelson. Gauthier then looped a base hit to left to bring home Summerhill and give the Huskies a 4-3 lead. Miami starting pitcher Luke Ross got back-to-back strikeouts to end the NIU threat.

The RedHawks took back the lead in the top of the fourth. With two outs and runners at first and second, Garrison Barile singled to left field to drive in Ty Batusich and tie the game at 4-4. David Novak also attempted to score on the hit but was thrown out at home plate by Erato. An infield single by Blake Buzzeo scored Tre Keels from third to give Miami a 5-4 lead. Miami then went to left-hander Carson Byers out of the bullpen, who threw 4.1 scoreless innings with no hits, three walks and eight strikeouts. The RedHawks tacked on two insurance runs in the seventh to take a 7-4 lead. Lukas Galdoni held up that lead, recording the final four outs to record the save in the Miami victory.

The NIU bullpen allowed just two runs in 5.2 innings Saturday. DJ Hess (Germantown, Wis./College of Lake County) scattered four hits in his 2.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Reagan Klawiter (Verona, Wis./Madison College) threw a perfect eighth innings with two strikeouts. Jake Kohanzo (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth, his second consecutive scoreless outing.

"After we had that big three spot in the third, there just wasn't a whole lot there," Copeland said. "Our bullpen did a good job once again. It's just hard when you fall behind early and fight hard to get back in it and take the lead only to give it right back. It feels like a reoccuring theme this season."

NIU got seven hits from seven different players, but only one from the fourth inning on. Gauthier drove in a pair of runs in the game to give him five RBI over the last three games.

The Huskies and RedHawks wrap up their series this weekend on Sunday, March 24 at 12 p.m. CT.

—NIU—