DeKALB – A disastrous bottom half of the third inning for the Huskies where five Illinois State runs scored and stretched their lead to 8-5 led to NIU’s eventual loss. 

NIU baseball (7-32, 4-13 MAC) dropped its eighth straight matchup Wednesday, losing to the Illinois State Redbirds (15-22, 4-11 MVC) by a score of 11-5. 

Junior pitcher Sam Pederson got the start for the Huskies in the mid-week matchup, totaling only 2.2 innings, giving up eight earned runs on seven hits. Pederson also walked three batters and allowed two wild pitches while taking the loss. 

Senior pitcher Brandon Doty came into the game in relief of Pederson in the third inning, totaling 2.1 innings pitched without allowing a run. Doty struck out three batters and only gave up one hit. 

Redshirt junior pitcher Reagan Klawiter gave up three runs in his two innings of work in relief of Doty, while also totaling three walks and two wild pitches. 

NIU fell to an early 3-0 deficit after a first inning three-run home run by freshman infielder Daniel Pacella. 

The Huskies battled back in the top of the second inning, scoring three runs to tie the game. Junior infielder Jake Nelson scored the first run on a sacrifice bunt to score senior outfielder Malik Peters.

Junior infielder Andre Demetral tied the game with a two RBI single that scored senior outfielder Tyler Thierry and junior infielder Mason Kelley. 

NIU took its first and only lead of the game on a two-run home run by Kelley that scored junior catcher Colin Summerhill, which made the score 5-4 in the third inning. 

Illinois State scored four runs in the third inning to take an 8-5 lead and held the lead until the end of the game. 

The Redbirds tacked on two more runs to their score in the sixth inning, and one more run in the seventh, which made the score 11-5. 

“It’s tough to overcome some of the early deficits we’ve put ourselves in, but we’ve been battling,” said NIU head baseball coach Mike Kunigonis via NIU Athletics. “We had a good chance in the fourth, bases loaded and no outs with our three, four and five hitters up and just couldn’t make it happen. We put the barrel on the ball right at them.”

UP NEXT

The Huskies next matchup will be against the University of Akron at 3 p.m. Friday in DeKalb at Ralph McKenzie Field. Live stats will be available via SIDEARM Stats.