DeKALB, Ill. – The Western Michigan baseball team rallied late in the contest, but ultimately fell, 6-5, in 11 innings at Northern Illinois on Friday in the opener of a three-game Mid-American Conference series.  
 
FINAL SCORE: Northern Illinois 6, Western Michigan 5 (F/11)
LOCATION: Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt and Janice Owens Park (DeKalb, Ill.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (9-23, 6-7 MAC) | Northern Illinois (7-24, 4-9)
W: Mason Ruh (1-1) | L: Joe Shapiro (0-1)
 
Starting pitching dominated in the early stages of the game, as the contest remained scoreless until NIU pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth. The Huskies added another tally in the sixth to make it 2-0.
 
Brady Miller made it four straight quality starts in MAC play for the Broncos, as he yielded just one earned run over six innings of work and collected four strikeouts.
 
Western Michigan got its offense going in the seventh, as Greg Budig and Grady Mee put together back-to-back RBI singles to even the score. Will Morrison then gave WMU the lead, as he laid down a bunt which allowed Budig to come home and put the Broncos in front, 3-2.
 
With two outs in the ninth, NIU rallied to tie the game and send it into extra innings.
 
After a scoreless 10th frame, Mee put the Broncos back in front with a two-out, two-run double in the top of the 11th.
 
WMU could not hold the lead however, as the Huskies responded with three in the home half to claim the series-opening victory.
 
The Broncos and Huskies continue their three-game weekend series on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 2 pm.