DeKALB – NIU baseball’s (7-32, 4-13 MAC) losing streak stretched to nine games in a 19-7 slugfest loss to the University of Akron Zips (14-27, 6-15 MAC). 

A rough start for junior pitcher Dominic Hann put the Huskies in an early six run hole after two innings. Hann lasted 4.1 innings in his start, giving up 11 runs – nine earned – on eleven hits. Hann picked up his sixth loss of the season, still without a win. 

Freshman pitcher Jake Kohanzo pitched 1.2 innings in the game, giving up six runs on three hits while walking three batters on the day. 

The Huskies were down 7-0 early but got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning on a solo home run by junior catcher Colin Summerhill. 

A four run top of the fifth inning extended the Zips lead over the Huskies to 11-1. The Huskies rallied back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring six runs – capped off by a grand slam by junior infielder Aaron Harper. 

This was the closest NIU got in the game, closing the score gap to 11-7. The Zips went on to score at least one run in every inning for the remainder of the game, sealing the 19-7 win.

Head coach Mike Kunigonis spoke post-game about some of the struggles that the Huskies have faced during their nine-game skid.

“It’s mental, it’s like any ballplayer that gets into a slump,” Kunigonis said. “They got to work through the slump and get that confidence back and that’s kind of where we are at right now. We’re in that part where you think it’s not going to get better, but we got to keep battling.”

Kunigonis also had high praises for Harper and Summerhill, saying that they have been the guys to start rallies this season. 

“Those guys have been doing a great job all year,” Kunigonis said. “Offensively, we’ve had our highs and lows but we’ve been grinding it out, and we’ve seen us fight our way back in games when we get behind early.”

UP NEXT

NIU will continue its weekend series against Akron at 1 p.m. Saturday at Ralph McKenzie Field at Walt and Janice Owens Park. Live stats will be available via SIDEARM Stats.