The NIU baseball team scored runs early and often Tuesday.

The end result was an 11-3 victory over Division III Wheaton College that made freshman Brandon Copp (2-2) a winner in his first career start.

“We recruited Brandon as a starting pitcher,” NIU coach Ed Mathey said. “We think he can potentially come in and pitch for us on weekends. The way the staff worked out this year, he’s become such a valuable asset out of the bullpen, and he’s really taken to that role.”

The NIU offense scored a run in each of its first four innings, and used sacrifice bunts from freshman short stop Bobby Stevens, senior catcher Anthony Venetucci and junior second baseman Marc Besteman to move runners into scoring position.

“It was important for our guys to come out and execute some fundamentals,” Mathey said. “I think we came out and did exactly what we needed to do.”

Senior designated hitter Kyle Pettengell had a 3-for-4 day at the plate and tallied a game-high four RBIs.

The DeKalb native had a two-out double in the fourth that scored junior first baseman Scott Simon and junior third baseman Jesse Seykora stretched NIU’s lead to a comfortable 8-2.

“I was seeing the ball well today,” Pettengell said. “I tried to stay back as long as I could and go middle opposite with the ball. Good things happen when you try and do that.”

The NIU defense posted an errorless game. Besteman made several putouts ranging up the middle and throwing across his body to get the runners in time.

Copp said pitchers enjoy the luxury of a defense with range that makes outs of balls determined to bound into center field.

“I didn’t have my good stuff coming out but the defense played great behind me,” Copp said of his nine-straight outs to start the game. “I’m a control guy, I don’t have overpowering stuff. Today I felt like I wasn’t hitting my spots.”

Seykora and junior right fielder Brett Kellam joined Pettengell in the multi-hit game category, as both tallied a double and single to add to the NIU twelve-hit attack.

On tap for NIU in game two of a six-game home stand is Chicago State (4-14).

Sophomore left-hander Matt Jernstad (2-0) takes the mound for an NIU team with a 7-2 record against in-state opponents, and hopes to continue its wining ways against intrastate foes as it climbs toward the break-even mark.

“We are still below .500 and we need to keep climbing back,” Mathey said. “We’ve won two games in a row, and we’d like to make it three and keep momentum going into Central Michigan this weekend.”