DeKALB, IL – The Ball State Cardinals got two home runs from shortstop Michael Hallquist in the fifth and seventh innings to rally from a 3-2 deficit to a 4-3 win over the Northern Illinois University baseball team Friday afternoon at Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt and Janice Owens Park.
 
"That was the team we've seen over the last few weeks," said head coach Ryan Copeland. "We pitched extremely well and played the usual outstanding defense that we've had all year. We had opportunities late but we haven't been able to take a game like this one. At some point, one of our guys has to be a reason why we win a game."
 
NIU (15-30, 9-13 MAC) took the lead in the bottom of the first. With one out, Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) hit a triple to left center off of Ball State starting pitcher Merritt Beeker. Colin Summerhill (Chicago, Ill./Troy) drove him in with a sacrifice fly to centerfield to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. Ball State responded with two runs in the top of the second as a Clay Jacobs sacrifice fly and a run-scoring triple from Nick Gregory put the Cardinals ahead 2-1. Cooper Cohn (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) quickly tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the second on a leadoff home run, his fifth long ball of the season.
 
Ball State (26-18-1, 13-9 MAC) had a chance to take the lead in the top of the third. With the bases loaded and just one out, Dylan Grego hit a liner right at shortstop Andre Demetral (Rochester, Mich./Florence Darling Tech), who flipped the ball to Erato at second base for a double play to end the threat. The Huskies went back in front in the bottom of the fourth. CJ Cepicky (St. Louis, Mo./Missouri) led off with a ringing double to left field. After a popout, Mason Kelley (Mt. Washington, Ky./Schoolcraft College) drove in Cepicky with a base hit to left field to give NIU a 3-2 edge.
 
The Cardinals tied the game in the top of the fifth as Hallquist hit a leadoff home run off of Ty Brachbill (Shelbyville, Ill./Shelbyville) to make the score 3-3. Brachbill managed to keep the game tied, stranding the go-ahead run at second base on a Grego flyout. The Huskies had runners at first and second with two outs in the bottom of the inning when Beeker got the eighth of his nine strikeouts in the game to end the frame.
 
In the sixth, NIU had runners at first and second with one out on a Cohn leadoff single and a Charlie Parcell (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) hit by pitch. Ball State went to the bullpen for Nick Blain which led to Parker Shupe (Johnston, Iowa/Kirkwood CC) entering as a pinch-hitter. Shupe hit a screaming line drive right at Ball State first baseman Blake Bevis who doubled off Parcell to end the inning.
 
Hallquist hit his second home run of the game leading off the seventh, putting the visitors up 4-3. Brachbill then walked Hunter Dobbins before Sam Pederson (Verona, Wis./McHenry CC) came in from the NIU bullpen. Brachbill went six-plus innings one week after his complete game win at Central Michigan, allowing four runs on eight hits with four walks and four strikeouts.
 
"Ty competes like he did today every time out," Copeland said. "For us to be in the position we're in with him on Fridays, routinely going up against All-MAC performers and potential draft picks, it speaks volumes to his development and toughness. Unfortunately their guy hit the home run in the seventh to take the lead."
 
Peterson retired the side in the seventh to keep the game at a one-run deficit. Reagan Klawiter (Verona, Wis./Madison College) did the same in the eighth and ninth innings. However, Blain and the Ball State defense kept the Huskies in check late in the game. Blain allowed just two hits in 3.2 innings of relief to earn the win with five strikeouts as Ball State hung on for a 4-3 victory.
 
"Against a really good team, and a really good pitching staff, they're not going to give it to you," Copeland said. "They're not going to give you the walk or make mistakes defensively. We had opportunities but we just can't seem to get the big hit. We'll come here tomorrow with great energy and great vibes and be ready to play hard again."
 
Cohn and Demetral each had two hits in the game for NIU. Erato's triple in the first inning extended his hitting streak to nine games. Hallquist and Nick Husovsky each had two hits for the Cardinals.
 
The two teams continue their series tomorrow, Saturday, May 4 at 1 p.m. The game has been moved up one hour from the previously scheduled time of 2 p.m. due to the threat of inclement weather later in the day.
 
--NIU--