DeKALB — The baseball team surged late Tuesday against Chicago State, but it wasn’t enough as they fell to the Cougars 10-8.

The Huskies scored seven runs over the seventh and eighth innings, but couldn’t put up enough to tie the game to extend the game.

Head Coach Mike Kunigonis told NIU Athletics mistakes early cost NIU the game.

“The group battled back late and made a late push, but we couldn’t overcome our early mistakes giving away free bases,” Kunigonis said. “We gave away too many free bases and it cost us.

The Cougars took a big lead early, leading 6-0 by the end of the third inning. Chicago State was propelled to the front by three RBIs by senior infielder Daulton Ryans.

First-year pitcher Nick Bonk struggled in his fourth collegiate appearance, working 2.2 innings while giving up four hits and three walks.

Junior infielder Tommy Szczasny put NIU on the board in the fourth with a groundout that allowed junior catcher Jake Dunham to score, making the game 6-1.

The Cougars extended their lead in the fifth with a junior infielder Patrick Arndt 2-RBI single. Arndt scored himself on a wild pitch to end the inning up 9-1.

The Huskies finally turned it around in the seventh with two runs, including an RBI single from first-year infielder Malik Peters to cut the lead down to 9-3.

NIU’s offense exploded in the eighth, scoring five runs. The Huskies scored two of those runs on errors from the Cougars, one off a flyout by Dunham and a pair thanks to a double from first-year outfielder Nick Drobushevich.

After Chicago State scored one run in the eighth, the Huskies failed to score in the ninth to end the game by the final of 10-8.

NIU, sitting at 4-16 overall, will turn its attention to Mid-American Conference play. The Huskies open conference play with a three-game series at home against the Eastern Michigan Eagles.

First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday from Ralph McKinzie Field.