DeKALB | Inning number six was the perfect time to arrive Friday afternoon at Ralph McKinzie Field.

Staked to a 1-0 lead, Western Michigan sophomore starter Ethan Hollingsworth, with a dazzling 1.97 ERA in tow, had the Huskie offense handcuffed.

But the sixth would be different, armed at the plate with an approach to drive the ball up the or opposite field; NIU hitters went opposite field for three runs and an entertaining trip around the bases.

Senior DH Daniel Jewett got the offense going with a single on an outer half pitch rocketed back up the middle.

The next at bat was interminable, junior Jeff Thomas fouled off pitch after pitch, until finally a Hollingsworth changeup found the lower calf of the speedy left fielder.

Home plate umpire Joe Pecha emphatically pointed Thomas down to first base, and for NIU, the table was set.

“Jeff got down in a 1-2 hole,” NIU coach Ed Mathey said. “He fought off 2-3 pitches, worked the count to 2-2, and then took that pitch in the back of the leg. It was a great at bat; the at bat of the inning.”

It was the ninth hit by pitch on the 2007 campaign for Thomas, and second of the game.

“Pitchers just try to come in on me and just don’t locate well,” the Loves Park Native said in reference to why he is such a ball magnet. “I was just trying to stay alive and shoot it opposite field.”

A laser-beam shot from junior centerfielder Pat Minogue landed in right center to score Jewett.

With Thomas on second and Minogue on first, Jesse Seykora belted a 0-1 curve ball for a double to deep right center. The ball caught up in the jet stream caused both runners to pause before beginning their assault of the bases.

What happened next was a scene that was Kentucky Derby worthy.

Thomas touched the third base bag, and on a dead sprint was Minogue; arms distance away, hot on his tail.

Both runners scored to give NIU a 3-1 lead. Three of the five NIU hits came in the sixth, but it was the footrace that was memorable.

Mathey said that Minogue is faster than Thomas, but interjected that from first base the centerfielder has a better view of the play and could break earlier.

When pressed both Thomas and Minogue were coy on who was faster.

“Well, Pat,” the left fielder sheepishly said with a grin. “Probably.”

With a humble grin Minogue chuckled and finally agreed with Thomas and added, “Yeah, it’s me.”

Three runs would be more than enough in what Mathey and the players agreed amounted to a huge character win.

“We needed this it was huge for us,” Seykora said after squaring off against divisional leader the past two weekends. “It was a tough stretch for us but we’ve got to win this series-we area capable of doing this.”