The momentum the Huskies started with against Toledo on Friday didn’t carry through the weekend as they fell in the doubleheader series finale at Ralph McKinzie Field on Saturday.

The NIU baseball team rallied for seven runs in the bottom of the seventh after being tied 4-4. Crystal Lake native Pat Minogue hit an inside-the-park grand slam to blast the Huskies past the Rockets, pulling themselves within 1.5 games of the Mid-American Conference West Division leader.

Joe Buonavolanto stated out with a one-out single to right and Jordin Hood followed up with a single up the middle. Dave Reynolds grounded to right for a two-run double. The success continued as Justin Behm took his base after being intentionally walked to make room for Matt

Behren who also was awarded a base after being hit by a wild pitch brought by Toledo’s Jeff Cinadr. With the bases loaded, Troy White reached on a fielding error that allowed a run to score and kept the bases packed. After Nick Badgley’s strike out, Minogue came to bat and hit a line drive to shallow centerfield. In an attempted diving catch, the Rockets’ Chris Dudics missed, which allowed the ball to venture to the warning track. Minogue kept pace around the bases, putting NIU up 11-4.

The Huskies would end the game 12-5.

On Saturday, the Rockets sought vengeance as they swept the Huskies in a doubleheader at NIU.

Even though NIU got 15 runs on 31 hits and four walks in the two games, it fell 12-7 in the first game and 12-8 in the second.

The Huskies fought hard as the lead changed three times before Toledo sunk their teeth into the game with Jake Oester allowing only a two-run sixth inning, giving the Rockets an 8-6 lead. NIU tried to rally with Behm’s two-out solo home run in the bottom of the sixth, but Toledo quickly responded with a two-out single by Chris Dudics. The fight wasn’t over as Rocket Jared Hoying cannoned a three-run homer to right.

In the second game of the day, the Huskies led 5-4 in the fourth, which was quickly handed back to Toledo with two more runs by Hoying as he drove in a run with a single and Aaron Dudley’s sacrifice fly.

The game continued and quickly ended in the ninth with three Toledo runs coming on a Hoying homer, a Ben Hammer double and a Jim Corfman double.

The series wasn’t a complete loss, as Hood extended his 13-game hitting streak and Behm hit his 22nd home run in a Huskie uniform.