CHICAGO – The Northern Illinois University baseball team led the UIC Flames 4-1 after five innings Wednesday night at Curtis Granderson Stadium but could not hold off a Flames rally in a 5-4 loss.
 
"We've had some really good wins in close games and we've had a lot of tough losses," said head coach Ryan Copeland. "I think the really good programs find ways to win those close games at a high rate. I'm encouraged by a lot of things but moving forward, games like tonight are opportunites lost. We had a chance to go beat a really good team on the road and sweep the midweek and we're just not quite there yet."
 
NIU (13-27) showed a lot of patience at the plate in the top of the first and was rewarded for it. The Huskies loaded the bases with walks by Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) and Jake Nelson (Altoona, Wis./Madison College) as well as Colin Summerhill (Chicago, Ill./Troy) being hit by a pitch. UIC's Zak Gould struck out the next two batters but walked Mason Kelley (Mt. Washington, Ky./Schoolcraft College) drew a walk to drive in the game's first run. Cooper Cohn (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) followed with a double to left field that scored both Nelson and Summerhill to make the score 3-0.
 
UIC (25-12) put a run on the board with two outs in the bottom of the first. With two outs Zane Zielinski stole third base and scored on a throwing error from Cohn behind the plate, making the score 3-1.  The game turned into a pitcher's duel between NIU starting pitcher Conner Lutes (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) and Gould and Vincent Gohlke of UIC. Lutes held the Flames scoreless in each the next four innings, retiring the side in the second and getting Kendall Ewell to ground into an inning-ending double play in the third. The Huskies left a runner on base in both the second and third innings.
 
"Conner was really good tonight," Copeland said. "For us to get 10-plus innings out of our two midweek starters this week who had not made starts this year is pretty impressive. Conner had been working to make sure he was in a position to be ready and he was really good tonight and gave us five really good innings."
 
NIU extended its lead in the top of the fifth. Erato led off with a walk, advancing to second on a Nelson sacrifice bunt. Summerhill followed with a base hit to center field, giving the Huskies runners at the corners with one out. The senior catcher stole second base to take away a double play opportunity for UIC. CJ Cepicky (St. Louis, Mo./Missouri) grounded out to Ryan Nagelbach at second base to drive home Erato and put NIU up 4-1.
 
The Flames closed within a run in the bottom of the sixth. Lutes walked Ewell and Henkle to start the frame. Tucker Christensen (Norwalk, Iowa/Sam Houston State) then entered the game from the bullpen. After a passed ball allowed the runners to advance, Nagelbach drove home Henkle with a groundout to Erato at second base. AJ Taylor followed with a sacrifice fly to centerfield to make the score 4-3. Christensen got out of the inning by getting Jackson Bessette to ground out.
 
With a runner on first and one out in the bottom of the seventh, Vidal Colon hit a single to centerfield to put the go-ahead run on base for UIC. Jacob Draeger (Johnston, Iowa/Des Moines Area CC) struck out Zane Zielinski for the second out of the inning. Henkle then delivered a double down the left field line to clear the bases and put the Flames ahead 5-4.
NIU had a chance to tie the game in the top of the eighth. Cepicky led off with a walk off of UIC reliever Dylan White and stole second on a strikeout. The junior leftfielder tried to advance on a groundball on the left side of the infield and was tagged out by Taylor at third base. White got a strikeout to end the inning. The Huskies had the go-ahead run on base with one out in the bottom of the ninth but hit into a double play to end the ballgame.
 
Andre Demetral (Rochester, Mich./Florence Darling Tech) had two of NIU's seven hits on the night. Erato was 1-for-2 with three walks from the lead-off spot and scored two runs. On the mound Lutes threw a career-high five innings, allowing three runs of which only one was earned. The junior scattered three hits and four walks.
 
NIU opens a three-game Mid-American Conference series at Central Michigan on Friday, April 26 at 2 p.m.
 
--NIU--