A solid start from Jake Hermsen and timely offense helped NIU men’s baseball defeat UW-Milwaukee 5-4 at Ralph McKinzie Field Tuesday.

The Huskies (6-19, 0-3 MAC) were in a hole to begin the game, the Panthers scored (6-15) a run in the top of the first inning. NIU would come back to answer with four runs in the bottom of the frame.

“It was nice our team rebounded and got four runs right away for me,” Hermsen said. “It makes my job a lot easier just having to throw strikes.”

Hermsen went six innings, giving up one run on six hits. Panthers starting pitcher Eric King surrendered four runs in on four hits in two innings.

In a more bizarre play in baseball, two runs were scored by NIU on an infield single.

“Two run infield single, not sure I’ve ever seen it, actually,” said Scott Doffek, UW-Milwaukee coach. “What are you going to do? It was a swinging bunt, our shortstop makes a clean play, and the runner hustles around to score.”

The game went scoreless from the first until the eighth inning, where both teams plated a run, making the score 5-2.

Senior closer Kyle Glancy was brought on to record the final out of the eighth and then to close out the ninth for NIU.

The Panthers had other ideas, as they put together a rally to threaten the Huskies lead, as Glancy struggled a bit with location.

Through a hit batter and a walk, UW-Milwaukee was able to score two runs on a single before Glancy struck out a batter looking to end the game.

NIU coach Ed Mathey said he was impressed with the offensive approach of his lineup.

“We took advantage of some opportunities early,” Mathey said. “That run in the eighth inning was huge; a two-three run lead can go away pretty quickly in college baseball.”