NIU baseball closed its eight-game homestand in an affair it will likely forget versus Illinois State Tuesday afternoon.

The Redbirds (20-10) scored 19 runs through the first five innings on their way to a 22-3 victory over NIU (8-24, 2-7 MAC). The Redbirds were powered by junior center fielder Chad Hinshaw who finished a single shy of the cycle, but belted two homers and knocked in seven.

NIU senior Alex Beckmann said he’s been apart of blowouts before, and knows the mentality the team should try and take even when down 19-1 in the fifth.

“The game’s not over when you’re down, you can’t give up,” Beckmann said. “You have to compete to try and win the game, and I don’t think we did a very good job of that today.”

Sophomore pitcher Eli Anderson started the game for NIU, giving up eight earned runs through the first 2.2 innings. NIU used six more pitchers through the rest of the game. Redshirt junior Zach Badgley pitched three effective innings of relief.

“Eli was okay, he got bit a couple times by a couple non-plays that happened,” said NIU coach Ed Mathey . “He started falling behind players and it spiraled from there. Zach did a great job after that initial inning. He competed in his own and challenged hitters.”

Offensively, there wasn’t much to speak of for NIU, but senior shortstop Alex Jones had two hits and scored two runs.

Mathey said the effort he saw was not what is required, and that this game should serve notice to his team of what’s required to win day in and day out.

“It should serve notice to our team that what we did today was not acceptable,” Mathey said. “There’s spots to be won out here. Heck, we need to make some changes somewhere. We’re looking for the guys who take the right approach and attitude.