Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and it proved so this weekend as the NIU men’s baseball team lost a pair of 3-2 games to Louisville Saturday.

NIU (0-2) was unable to pick up its first win of the season on Sunday as inclement weather forced the doubleheader to be cancelled.

In Game 1, NIU lefty Mark Skrukrud got a no decision with seven and one-third innings pitched, giving up one earned run with nine strikeouts.

“It’s a tough loss, but like I told the team, a tough loss means you had a chance to win, and if you keep your head up, you’ll learn from it,” first-year NIU coach Ed Mathey said.

Huskie infielder Greg Larsen doubled and scored to put NIU ahead 2-1 in the ninth before a wide throw by second baseman Josh Owen allowed Louisville’s Nick Haley to score the winning run in the tenth inning. Larsen was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

After suffering the loss in Game 1, freshman hurler Nick Hall got a chance to redeem himself in Game 2. However, a walk-off homerun by Ron Braun, the first batter in the bottom of the seventh, won it for the Cardinals.

NIU’s Zach Minor had eight strikeouts and gave up no earned runs in six innings of work.

Outfielder Dan Urban had two hits and two runs scored in Game 2.

“I thought our pitchers threw the ball exceptionally well,” Mathey said. “Louisville is a good hitting team, they went to the NCAA Tournament last year. They put us in a position to win.”