Dave Schrage said if the NIU baseball team was going to win games this season, it would be because the infield played great defense.

In the first series of the season, the Huskie defense was to the coach’s liking as NIU swept Tennessee-Martin in the three-game series, winning 8-6 on Sunday and 13-3 and 19-5 on Saturday.

The series sweep is the first since taking a four-game series against Cleveland State in the 1996 season.

“It was a great way for us to start off the season,” Schrage said. “Today’s game was much better. It really challenged us and we found out a lot about our team. They kept coming at us, but we responded each time.”

The Huskies (3-0) were able to score two runs in the first inning after back-to-back wild pitches and a sacrifice bunt by Brent Coyner.

The Skyhawks added runs in the second, fifth and eighth innings to pull within one run, but the Huskies scored two runs to take the 8-6 win.

“[Noel] Danielson and [Dan] Urban really came through for us in the ninth,” Schrage said. “Had they not come through with the two hits, [Joe] Ayers’ home run makes it a tie ball game instead of 8-6.”

Dan Badgley and Brad Gavelek won the decision for the two games they pitched in Saturday. Brian Miller worked six innings, striking out five Tennessee-Martin batters.

“This was a great first day for our pitching staff and defense,” said Schrage. “Dan threw strikes and didn’t walk anybody. Zero walks this early in the year is just a great job. And our defense was tremendous for not being outside. We made all the plays we needed to. This was just an incredible performance for this early in the season.”

The Huskies hit six home runs in the two games Saturday. Junior Noel Danielson hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Pat Kerrigan hit a solo dinger in the second inning in the first game.

In the second game of the double-header, Coyner hit two homers, a three-run home run in the first and a solo shot in the second, Kerrigan hit his second homer of the season on a two-run homer and Kyle Kimme hit a grand slam in the seventh.

“Pat has picked up where he left off last year,” Schrage said. “He had a tremendous season last year and has worked hard during the offseason to get stronger. The doubles he hit last year will be home runs this season. Right now, he is our leader.”