The NIU baseball team is settling into a pattern offensively, and coach Ed Mathey couldn’t be happier.

For the second-straight game and third time this season, the NIU offense plated seven runs in the first inning and held on for an 11-8 victory over Illinois State Tuesday.

“It’s a great way to start a game,” Mathey said. “I wish we could start that way every game.”

Huskies leadoff man Pat Minogue got the ball rolling with a sharp single that hit ISU third baseman Mike Stalowy in the neck. Typical to the Huskies’ mentality of small ball, second baseman Marc Besteman laid down a bunt to move Minogue over. But the overthrow allowed both runners to advance to second and third.

Slugger first baseman Scott Simon coaxed a walk out of starting pitcher Dan Frega to load the bases and was immediately followed by right fielder Brian Toner’s sacrifice fly to score the first run.

The offense snowballed from there. Third baseman Jesse Seykora reloaded the bases by getting hit in the helmet by a pitch and designated hitter Justin Behm made Frega pay with a single on the first pitch to make the score 2-0.

Following a walk and a sacrifice fly, the Huskies’ No. 9 hitter Bobby Stevens came to the plate. Despite his .191 batting average, the freshman shortstop used a fierce wind blowing out to loft a three-run home run well over the left field fence.

“It was nice to see Bobby Stevens get his hands through the ball finally,” Mathey said with a grin.

The Huskies scored the seven runs on only three hits thanks to three walks, two sacrifice flies and an ISU error. Minogue said the small ball strategy of advancing runners rather than going for a home run is what gives the offense such potent force lately.

“That’s our game,” Minogue said. “We got Besteman behind me, and he usually does a great job of getting bunts down, and that’s been our approach all year. We’re not going to hit five home runs in a game. We got to do the little things first and go from there.”