DeKALB – Two late-inning comebacks weren’t enough for NIU baseball in its doubleheader loss to the Western Kentucky University (WKU) Hilltoppers (9-2) by final scores of 9-8 and 7-5. 

Junior infielder Aaron Harper led the way for NIU (1-8) on offense Saturday, launching a three-run home run in the ninth inning of each game and hitting 4-for-9 on the day. 

GAME ONE

NIU’s offense couldn’t get a clutch hit early on in the game. After loading the bases in each of the first two innings, WKU pitcher Mason Burns escaped the NIU scoring threats unscathed, leaving six NIU runners on base in the first two innings. 

The bats came alive in the third inning for NIU when junior outfielder and catcher Colin Summerhill and junior infielder Mason Kelley each hit a solo home run. Kelley’s home run was his second of the season, while Summerhill’s bomb was his first this season. 

Summerhill went 3-for-5 in the game, while Kelley’s long ball was his lone hit of the contest. 

Harper tacked on three hits in game one of the doubleheader, including his ninth-inning three-run home run, which got NIU within one run after trailing 9-5 to start the ninth inning. 

Other RBIs (runs batted in) for NIU came from junior infielder Andre Demetral, who hit 1-for-5, and senior outfielder Malik Peters, who hit 2-for-4. Junior infielder Eric Erato also drove in a run on a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning. 

Junior pitcher Jacob Wilde struggled on the mound for the Huskies. WKU scored three runs in the first two innings, then posted five on Wilde in the fourth before he was pulled. Wilde finished the game giving up eight runs in just over three innings of work. 

Sophomore pitcher Mason Ruh took over for Wilde in the fourth and finished the game for NIU, giving up just one run on an RBI triple by WKU junior infielder Aidan Gilroy in the fifth inning. Ruh gave up just one run in 4.2 IP. 

NIU gave up the first three runs before Summerhill and Kelley’s third-inning home runs cut the WKU to 3-2. The Hilltoppers responded in the fourth inning, rattling off five runs to extend the lead to 8-2. Gilroy’s triple widened the gap to 9-2 in the fifth inning. 

NIU started the comeback on a two-out rally in the eighth inning on Demetral and Peters’ RBI base hits to close the deficit to 9-4. Erato’s bases-loaded walk cut the lead to 9-5 heading to the ninth. 

After back-to-back hits from Summerhill and junior infielder and outfielder Andrew Smart, Harper brought them home with his three-run shot to make the score 9-8. 

WKU graduate pitcher CJ Weins came out of the bullpen and struck out the final two NIU batters to end the Huskies’ comeback bid and seal a 9-8 win for WKU. 

GAME TWO

Harper was at the forefront of the offense again for NIU in game two. Despite going just 1-for-5, he drove in a season-high four runs on a ground out in the fifth inning and three more on his second ninth-inning shot of the day and third home run of the season. 

Even with Harper’s production, the team offense struggled in game two, only mustering six hits to WKU’s 11. Leaders at the plate included Harper’s four RBIs and Erato’s 2-for-3 game. Sophomore catcher Kaden Kosobucki, junior outfielder Spencer Bartel and sophomore infielder Christian Seegars recorded hits.

NIU pitchers’ fortunes didn’t improve from game one. Redshirt sophomore pitcher Matt Salomonson started on the bump for NIU. He held the Hilltoppers off the scoreboard until the third inning on an RBI groundout by redshirt junior outfielder Ty Crittenberger. Salomonson was pulled in the fifth inning after allowing two runs. He finished his 4.1 innings of work giving up three runs.

Huskie pitchers allowed four more runs through the remaining five innings to bring WKU’s run total to seven. 

One WKU run in the third inning and two in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings ballooned the deficit to 7-2. 

The Huskies attempted another late comeback when Harper rocked a ninth-inning three-run homer off WKU freshman pitcher and outfielder Evan Jones to cut the Hilltoppers’ lead to 7-5.

Jones retired the remaining Huskie hitters in the ninth to seal the doubleheader sweep for WKU.

“We battled to the end in both games today,” head baseball coach Mike Kunigonis said via an NIU Athletics press release. “We were one hit, one pitch or one play away from being on the other side of each game. It was nice to see the bats come out today but we need to find ways to have better quality at-bats from first pitch on.”

The Huskies play another doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. against WKU Sunday. 

The game will be available to listen to via The Varsity Network. Live stats will be available on Sidearm stats.