DEKALB, Ill.- Northern Illinois closed out yesterday's rain suspended game with a 3-2 victory and Western Michigan fought back for a 3-2 win in game two to even this weekend's baseball series against the Huskies at one game apiece. The two teams will play a decisive game three tomorrow at 2:05 ET.
GAME ONE Lingering showers and lightning suspended play of game one yesterday in the bottom of the eighth with the Huskies leading 2-1. Western Michigan evened the score in the top of the ninth Saturday with a one-out double down the right field line by
Hunter Prince, scoring
Tanner Allison who reached on a leadoff single.
In the bottom of the ninth, NIU's Joe Jumonville earned a leadoff walk in the ninth and went on to score after an sac bunt, a Bronco error and a single by Jason Gasser for a 3-2 Huskie victory.
WMU's
Pat Haynes (1-3) took the loss, throwing an inning and a third. Western Michigan took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when junior catcher
Brett Sunde doubled down the left field line with two outs and scored on a triple by senior right fielder
Jared Kujawa in the following at bat.
Northern Illinois used a base hit, a walk and an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1 in the fifth inning and took the lead on a sac fly in the bottom of the seventh.
Junior LHP
Derek Schneider went 4.1 innings in the start and allowed one run and four hits while striking out three. Freshman LHP
Jacob Piechota came on in relief and yielded one run on one hit in 2.1 innings before the game was suspended.
GAME TWONorthern Illinois took a 1-0 lead in the first on a leadoff home run by Brian Sisler. Western Michigan tied the game in the fourth inning on an error, 1-1, and took its first lead of the day in the top of the sixth as
Jared Kujawa and
Tanner Allison hit back-to-back singles with two outs Kujawa going on the score on an error.
Johnny Zubek hit another solo home run for Northern Illinois in the bottom of the sixth to knot the score at 2-2.
The Broncos regained the lead, 3-2, in the top of the ninth. Allison roped a leadoff single down the right line, moved to second on a sac bunt by Michell Ho and Prince delivered the game-winning RBI with a single up the middle.
WMU closer
Gabe Berman walked Huskie leadoff batter Stephen Letz in the bottom of the ninth and Letz made his way over to third with two outs. Berman completed the victory with a strikeout to end the game. Berman threw an inning and a third of shut out relief to earn the win, his fifth of the year (5-3).
LHP
Keegan Akin started the game and gave up the two runs and four hits total over 7.2 innings.
Western Michigan is 20-25 on the season and 12-10 in Mid-American Conference play.
