DeKALB | In its first two games against Bowling Green, the NIU baseball team’s bats were as cold as the weather they played in.

The Huskies combined for eight hits and two runs in their first two contests against the Falcons, with both runs coming in the first game as they fell 7-2 while they were shutout in the second game, 8-0.

NIU shortstop Alex Jones even admitted that the cold weather got into the heads of himself and his teammates.

“I felt we were a little stiff the first two games,” Jones said. “The warmer weather helped us out a little bit.”

But Sunday afternoon, in their series finale against Bowling Green, the weather warmed up a little bit, and so did the Huskies’ offensive production.

NIU nearly matched its hit and run total from the previous two games, slugging out seven hits and driving in three runs to give starting pitcher Jeremy Gonzales some confidence to work with.

“It helps a lot,” Gonzales said after earning his second victory of the season. “It was good to get on the board. It’s a lot easier [to pitch] knowing you have the lead.”

The Huskies took their first lead of the series after right fielder Tom Kotis drove in two runs on a single in the second inning to put his team on the board, 2-0.

In the bottom frame of the third inning, Jones belted his first home run of the season down the right-field line. Those three runs would be enough for Gonzales as the Huskies won 3-0.

Gonzales wouldn’t waste the offense provided by the NIU lineup, pitching seven scoreless innings while striking out six Bowling Green hitters.

Huskies skipper Ed Mathey was pleased to see his batters change their approach at the plate, a trend that didn’t occur in their second game against the Falcons.

“We were better,” Mathey said. “We worked some deeper counts…that toughness is what we need to continue offensively.”