MILWAUKEE | One day after winning on the road at Northwestern, the NIU baseball team traveled farther north and split a seven-inning doubleheader with UW-Milwaukee.

The Huskies used hot hitting to take the first game 10-9, but dropped the night cap 11-1.

It was a see-saw affair in the first game as NIU (24-19) and UWM (12-26) exchanged leads five times before the Huskies could finally secure the victory in the last inning.

With the Huskies down 4-2, catcher Matt Behren and first baseman Dave Reynolds each tallied a two-out, two-RBI hit in the top of the third to give NIU a 6-4 lead.

After exchanging leads two more times, the Huskies found themselves tied at nine heading into the top of the seventh. Justin Behm pinch-hit for Behren and came through with a one-out single up the middle. Reynolds followed with a base hit to give NIU runners on the corners. A bit of good luck came NIU’s way in the next at-bat as an error allowed the Huskies to score the deciding run.

“Tim [Ryan] hit it hard and right to the third baseman,” coach Ed Mathey said. “If he fields that cleanly, I think that probably would have gone for a double-play.”

Matt German pitched a perfect seventh to seal it for NIU.

NIU gave up five runs in the first and one in the second inning as the Panthers cruised to an 11-1 win in game two.