NORMAL | In a prize fight the 10th, 11th and 12th rounds are referred to as the “championship rounds,” where the true grit of a fighter is tested.

The most memorable fights are back-and-forth affairs with decisions that go right down to the wire.

On a windy night in Normal, the NIU (18-10) baseball team punched, and counter punched before they finally posted a 6-4 decision over Illinois State (14-16).

Like a cagey veteran fighter, NIU completed the season sweep of ISU when it pulled out all the stops for its first victory at Redbird Field since 1996. The Huskies used three ISU errors and a passed ball for a two-run top of the ninth and a 6-4 win.

“We’ll take it however we can get it,” NIU coach Ed Mathey said. “From the fourth inning, on we did a real good job of putting the ball in play and pressuring them.”

Senior pitcher Brett Kellam (1-0) threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief in a set-up man role to pick up his first career win. Senior closer Matt German picked up his sixth save of the season, and NIU all-time save record tying 19th of his career.

For Kellam, the key to success in late innings is to take a simple approach.

“I’m excited that I pitched well, and a win against ISU is big,” Kellam said. “My job is to get in the game, throw strikes, get outs and get the ball to German with a lead.”

NIU waited until the sixth inning before it rallied to tie the game 3-3. Freshman Dave Reynolds, junior Jeff Thomas, and senior Danny Jewett collected consecutive RBI singles.

“The wind was just killing anything that went up in the air tonight,” Mathey said. “The keys to today’s game were swinging down and through the ball and playing error-free defense.”

In the seventh inning, sophomore catcher Justin Behm singled in Jesse Seykora to give NIU a short-lived 4-3 lead.

ISU bounced right up off the canvas in the bottom of the seventh with a single from junior second baseman Colin Salzenstein scored sophomore shortstop Mike Stalowy to tie the game at 4-4.

NIU will kick off a four-game home stand at 3 p.m. today when Valparaiso (8-16) comes to Ralph McKinzie Field. Freshman Cody Beck (0-0) is slated make his first career start on the mound for NIU.