Tony Strikes

NIU Women's Golf: Chile Leads Huskies at Boilermaker Spring Classic

Leading the Huskies on the course for the first time in her collegiate career, Emile Chile (Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound) placed in the top-25 as the Northern Illinois University women’s golf team competed at the Boilermaker Spring Classic.

Action took place on the Ackerman-Allen Course at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Indiana, a par-72. NIU competed against Big Ten schools, Illinois, Purdue, Minnesota, and Wisconsin as they carded 25 birdies.

Chile carded four birdies in her first and third rounds as she carded a 75 (+3) in the opening 18. Chile birdied the first and second holes in the first round before birdieing on the final two holes in the last round. Chile was the only Huskie to she all three of her rounds in the 70s as her best round came in the third at 74 (+2).

Alexa Ouellet (Toronto, Ontario, Canada/De La Salle College) carded two birdies in the first round as she matched Chile with a score of 75. Ouellet birdied two par-5’s in the second round as she shot +5 before not recording a birding in her final round.

Dakota Tallent (Las Vegas, Nevada/Bishop Gorman) posted two birdies in her first round, and Mia Raines (Galena, Ohio/Olentangy Berlin) added one birdie in each round to finish with five overall. Raines best round came in the third, as she went +4 with seven straight pars.

Caroline Kent (Frisco, Texas/iUniversity Prep) led NIU with six total birdies, including three in the second round of competition as she went +5 in that round.

The Huskies will conclude the 2025-26 season as they compete at the 2026 MAC Championships, April 26-28. Action will take place at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.

Huskies Scorecard

T22 | Emile Chile | 75-77-74 = 226
T49 | Alexa Ouellet | 75-77-80 = 232
T74 | Dakota Tallent | 79-81-79 = 239
T74 | Mia Raines | 82-81-76 = 239
84 | Caroline Kent | 83-77-82 = 242

13 | NIU | 311-312-309 = 932

by Tony Strikes

NIU Men's Tennis: NIU Sweeps MAC Player of the Week Honors

The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team received both Mid-American Conference Singles Player of the Week and Doubles Team of the Week in the final week of the regular season, the league announced today. Iker Gaztambide Arrastia secured his fourth Singles Player of the Week honor while Gaztambide Arrastia and Federico Scotuzzi earned their second Doubles Team of the Week.

No. 63 Gaztambide Arrastia walked away from this weekend with a 4-0 record in singles and doubles play. The senior won in straight sets at No. 2 over Western Michigan and Ball State, downing Western Michigan's Alex Antonopoulos 6-1, 6-3 and Andrei Caragea of Ball State 6-1, 6-1.

Gaztambide Arrastia and Scotuzzi opened the weekend with a 6-3 victory over Tim Riedel and Drew Evans of Western Michigan and closed with a 6-2 win against Ball State's Broc Fletcher and Jacks Lancaster.

NIU has earned a Player of the Week honor 10 times this season, six Singles Player of the Weeks and four Doubles Team of the Week, four more than any other MAC team.

Gaztambide Arrastia has been named MAC Singles Player of the Week four times, the most by an NIU player in a single season since 2005.

• Jan. 26: Iker Gaztambide Arrastia – Singles Player of the Week

• Jan. 26: Iker Gaztambide Arrastia / Federico Scotuzzi – Doubles Team of the Week

• Feb. 16: Iker Gaztambide Arrastia – Singles Player of the Week

• Feb. 23: Lorenzo Leti Messina / Federico Scotuzzi – Doubles Team of the Week

• March 2: Nikola Puntaric – Singles Player of the Week

• March 9: Iker Gaztambide Arrastia – Singles Player of the Week

• March 23: Iker Dellien Velasco / Chiao Bo Suo Nan – Doubles Team of the Week

• April 6: Nikola Puntaric – Singles Player of the Week

• April 13: Iker Gaztambide Arrastia – Singles Player of the Week

• April 13: Iker Gaztambide Arrastia / Federico Scotuzzi – Doubles Team of the Week

by Tony Strikes

Mulligan Leads Huskies At Robert Kepler Intercollegiate

Sophomore Jack Mulligan (Burr Ridge, Ill./Hinsdale Central) led the Northern Illinois University men’s golf team with a top-50 finish at this weekend’s Robert Kepler Intercollegiate, hosted by Ohio State at Columbus Country Club.

Mulligan tied for 44^th with a 54-hole score of two-over par 218. He led the Huskies in the first round Saturday morning with an even par 72, putting four birdies on his card. After a second round 76, Mulligan moved up 19 places on the leaderboard with a two-under par 70 on Sunday. He got to two-under par on the day with an eagle on the par-five eighth hole, his penultimate hole of the day.

Conner McCall (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) had his best round of the tournament on Sunday with an even par 72. Like Mulligan, McCall also had an eagle on the day with a three at the par-five 15^th. He finished tied for 56^thwith a four-over par 220.

“Conner and Jack created a lot of opportunities this week,” said head coach John Carlson. “Collectively we needed to see more putts drop. We haven’t been able to put complete rounds together as a team yet. At Columbus Country Club the course puts pressure on your short game and we fell short in our execution this week.”

The Huskies finished 16^th as a team, posting a team score of 20-over par 884 to place seven strokes back of Southern Illinois. NIU’s best team round came in the second round on Saturday, a four-over 292. Beau Petersen (Gretna, Neb./Gretna) led the Huskies with a one-under par 71. Craig Long (Alpharetta, Ga./Milton) had his best round of the weekend with an even par 72. Patrick Raupp (Arlington Heights, Ill./Prospect) had a 74 and McCall rounded out the scoring group with a round of 75.

“This is a young team that has learned a great deal this season,” Carlson said. “The adversity we’re facing now will make us stronger as we prepare for the MAC Championship in three weeks.”

NIU’s final tuneup before the conference championship is next weekend, April 18-19, at Indiana’s Hoosier Inviational at The Pfau Course.

by Tony Strikes

Huskies Dive Back in Win Column, Ninova Becomes All-Time Wins Leader

The Northern Illinois University women's tennis team snapped its losing skid on Sunday with a 5-2 win over Bowling Green at home. Senior Nataly Ninova recorded singles and doubles wins to become the program's all-time combined career wins leader with 165 and counting.

"I couldn't even imagine when I first came here I'd be able to get (the record) and I feel lucky I got a chance to play and try to build something," said Ninova. "I'm so glad I was able to accomplish it before I left. I only have one match left so it feels really special."

Head coach Eric Burns praised Ninova following the match, pointing to the senior's ability to play against all levels of competition.

"We're playing tough schedules here … we're playing power four (schools), we're really challenging this team. This was probably the toughest schedule that we've had and Nataly has done it against all of them," said Burns. "Beat some power fours, good in the conference, she's been good against everyone. It's a huge accomplishment."

The win on Sunday snaps a five-match losing streak and marks the fourth consecutive win over Bowling Green. NIU (16-8, 2-5 MAC) now has won at least 10 home matches in each of the last three seasons.

Isabella Righi / Lucia Yecora won 6-2 at No. 2 doubles, allowing for Theodora Kousiou / Ninova to clinch the point at No. 1 with a 6-3 win.

"Doubles really set the tone," said Burns. "We went with a new lineup at No. 1 doubles and worked really well for us, that got us off to a good start. We played very well at No. 3 and No. 4 singles today, routine wins there … for us to go out and win in straight sets, that was big for us."

Ninova (Palma de Mallorca, Spain / IES Centre De Tecnificacio Esportiva IB) recorded the first singles win, downing Libby Blair 6-4, 6-0 and shortly after Yecora (Seville, Spain / IES V Centenario School) posted a 6-3, 6-2 win against Kiera Taylor.

Irmak Budak (Istanbul, Turkey / SAJEV) clinched the match with a 7-5, 1-6, 6-2 win over All-MAC select Tia Clemens at No. 1 singles, her second straight conference win.

"The game style today was more to her liking, for one," said Burns. "She likes to hit the ball, (Clemens) likes to hit the ball, so it turned into who can hit it consistent and hard and (Budak) is usually pretty good in those situations. It was a good match for her."

Jenna Horne (Glenview, Ill. / Glenbrook South) recorded a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 5 for the final point of the match for the Huskies.

NIU will host its Senior Day on Friday, April 17 at 12 p.m. against Ball State in the regular season finale.

by Tony Strikes

NIU Softball: Huskies Softball Wins Sixth Straight, Completes Sweep of Kent State

Winning their sixth straight game, the Northern Illinois University Huskies softball team posted a 10-4 victory over the Kent State University Golden Flashes to sweep the series. With the win, the Huskies improved to 18-11 on the season and 12-5 in the MAC standings.

The last time the NIU softball team won six games in a row was in 2017 between April 22 and May 2. NIU last swept Kent State in a single season in 1999, winning both regular‑season games and defeating the Golden Flashes again in the conference tournament.

Izzi Hanna (Granger, Ind./Penn) went 3-of-4 at the plate, scored twice, and drove in three runs. Mia Morera (Simi Valley, Calif./Westlake) was 2-of-3 at the plate, scored once, and drove in three runs.

“We’re just putting our head down and taking it one step at a time,” said NIU head coach Kathryn Gleason. “Offensively, they are really committing to the plan. Coach B (Pasquale) gives them a plan, and they each individually have a plan and hitting to right-center. The pitching staff did a great job all weekend. Great to get Lily some innings today and get her confidence back. They trust themselves and trust the plan and pass the bat. It’s just one step at a time. There is a lot of MAC games left and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”

Game Recap

Kent State (17-22, 7-11 MAC) led the first inning off with a single to center field. The Golden Flashes loaded the bases after a pair of walks before Lily Cassell (La Grange, Ohio/Keystone) struck out the final two batters.

Jenna Turner (Marengo, Ill./Marengo) singled to left field to start the bottom half of the inning before Hanna recorded her first base hit. NIU loaded the bases as Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) walked before a walk issued to Kayla Estrada (Riverside, Calif./Martin Luther King) scored Turner. Morera hit a sacrifice flyout to right field to score Hanna while Stewart scored on a fielder’s choice for NIU’s third run of the inning.

A defensive error by the Huskies allowed the first batter from Kent State to reach base. Kent State scored their first run of the game on an RBI single to center field before Cassell collected her fourth strikeout of the game.

Katy Ramage (Germantown Hills, Ill./Metamora Township) doubled to center field to lead off the second inning for NIU. A defensive error put Lia Nance (Oceanside, Calif./Oceanside) on base before a Hanna triple sent both runners home. Estrada doubled down the right field line to score Hanna before being brought home on a Morera double to left field.

The Huskies went 1-2-3 against Kent State in the top of the third inning before NIU opened the bottom frame with back-to-back hits. A Hanna base hit to left field scored the eighth run of the game for NIU.

Kent State hit the lone home run in the game in the fourth inning, a solo shot before scored on an RBI triple late in the inning.

Back-to-back base hits by the Huskies to start the fourth inning saw Mallory Wollenman (Evansville, Ind./Reitz Memorial) score the ninth run of the game. A Rylie Hartman (Kankakee, Ill./Herscher) double sent Morera across the plate for the final NIU run.

Kent State added their final run in the sixth inning, scoring on an RBI single.

The Huskies will conclude their eight-game home stand with a non-conference doubleheader against the Braves of Bradley University. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. on April 14.

Catch everything NIU Softball by visiting @NIUSoftball on Twitter/X, NIU Softball on Facebook, and @NIU_Softball on Instagram.

by Tony Strikes

NIU Baseball: Huskies Take Series From MAC Leaders Kent State, Win 5-2 Sunday

The Northern Illinois University baseball team won its first series over the Kent State Golden Flashes in DeKalb since 2009 on Sunday afternoon, winning 5-2 at Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt & Janice Owens Park.

“This is a great series win for our program,” said head coach Ryan Copeland. “We had some guys step in and step up today. I’m really proud of our guys and their fight and resilience. These were three really well-played baseball games. Kent State is the gold standard of this conference and after a few pitches on Friday we knew we belonged. I’m happy for our guys that they get to celebrate a series win like this.”

NIU (20-11, 12-6 MAC) has won five of its first six Mid-American Conference series to start the year. Carter Cox (St. Peters, Mo./Fort Zumwalt South) and Blake Gaskey (Davenport, Iowa/Ohio) combined to hold the Golden Flashes to two runs on six hits in Sunday’s series finale. Cox won his second straight start, going seven innings. He allowed two runs on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Gaskey got his first save of the season, throwing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

“Carter has seen a lot of progression in last two starts,” Copeland said. “He’s the ultimate competitor. He threw seven strong innings today. We feel really good about him getting the ball on Sundays.”

Cox picked off a runner at first base to end the top of the first, then struck out the side in order in the second. Gavin Baldwin (Nashville, Ill./SEMO) drew a walk off of Kent State starting pitcher Ben Rabatin to start the bottom of the second. Ivan Dahlberg (Minooka, Ill./Illinois-Springfield) followed with a single to left field. Wyatt Wawro (Darien, Ill./Downers Grove South) drove in Baldwin with a base hit down the left field line to give NIU a 1-0 lead. Cooper Cohn (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) loaded the bases with a bunt single, and after a strikeout Kayden Jennings (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) was hit by a pitch to bring Dahlberg in to score the Huskies’ second run. Charlie Parcell (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) put NIU up 3-0 with a single to right field, scoring Wawro.

Kent State (25-9, 13-5 MAC) got on the board in the top of the third. With runners at the corners and no outs Luke Matthews put down a sacrifice bunt to score Nolan Belcher from third base to make the score 3-1. Brady Marshall brought in Grady Mee with a single to right center to get the Golden Flashes within a run at 3-2. Cox held Kent State there, getting a groundout and strikeout to end the inning.

The Huskies got those two runs back in the bottom of the fourth. Jennings and Parcell hit back-to-back singles to start the frame. Cole Smith (Dubuque, Iowa/Bradley) laced a single up the middle to drive in Jennings and put NIU ahead 4-2. Rabatin got back-to-back lineouts for the first two outs but walked Dahlberg to load the bases, then walked Wawro to bring home Parcell and give NIU a 5-2 lead.

Cox did his part to keep the Huskies in front. The sophomore retired the side in both the fifth and sixth innings, then stranded a runner at third base in the seventh. Gaskey entered the game in the top of the eighth. The Golden Flashes got a walk and a two-out single from Micah Kiracofe, but Gaskey struck out Sawyer Solitaria to get out of the inning.

Kent State attempted one last rally in the ninth. The first two Golden Flashes reached base as Brody Willams hit an infield single and Kolton Schaller drew a walk. Gaskey struck out Belcher for the first out but hit Mee with a pitch to load the bases. He struck out Matthews for the second out and got Marshall to hit into a fielder’s choice to end the game.

“That was a huge team win for us and the program,” Cox said. “We’re putting it all together at the right time. I’ve been getting back in my groove. I was landing all my pitches for strikes.”

Smith extended his current hitting streak to eight games on Sunday, going 2-for-5 with an RBI. The senior infielder has 10 multi-hit games out of his last 14. Parcell also had two hits on Sunday to go with an RBI, a walk and a stolen base. The junior centerfielder was 6-for-13 at the plate in the weekend’s series with four runs scored and four stolen bases.

NIU starts a stretch of five consecutive games on the road on Tuesday, April 14 at Illinois State. First pitch is at 5 p.m.

Full Box Score

by Tony Strikes

NIU Softball: Huskies Sweep Doubleheader with Walk-Off Win and Back-to-Back Grand Slams

With a combined 25 hits, the Northern Illinois University softball team swept the doubleheader this afternoon against Kent State University. The Huskies (17-11, 11-5 MAC) posted their second straight walk-off win, taking the first game 9-8 over the Golden Flashes (17-21, 7-10 MAC). A pair of grand slams in the second inning of game two led to a five-inning 15-3 victory.

Rylie Hartman (Kankakee, Ill./Herscher) went 2-for-2 at the plate, scored twice, and drove in two runs for the Huskies in the opening game. Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) had just one hit in the game, going 1-for-4, as her lone hit would be the walk-off run for the Huskies.

The Huskies scored 10 runs in the second inning of the second game behind grand slams from Mia Morera (Simi Valley, Calif./Westlake) and Jenna Turner (Marengo, Ill./Marengo).

This is the first time in the last three seasons that the Huskies have won back-to-back games via walk-off and saw a pair of grand slams in the same inning.

NIU’s 14 hits in the second game today were the third most this season.

“At the beginning of the year, we were just trying to win two in a row,” said NIU head coach Kathryn Gleason. “Just the resiliency, like in the first game, you know, to tie it and then give up a three-run home run and to come back. We talk about believing in each other and in the team. And that’s what we’ve been going off of, they are just so resilient. Dee Dee was struggling at the beginning of the game. She is such a competitor, and she wants to win for her team. And that’s who you want to bat for your team.”

Game One Recap (NIU 9, Kent State 8)

Kent State struck first, scoring on a sacrifice fly in the second inning.

Alana Powell (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy) led the Huskies off in the bottom half of the frame, reaching on a walk. Powell scored the Huskies opening run on a sacrifice flyout to tie the game.

Kent State scored four runs off four hits in the fourth inning to take a 5-1 lead over the Huskies

Powell doubled to center field to score Morera for the Huskies second run in the fourth inning. In the next at-bat, Hartman singled to center field, scoring Powell as the Huskies trailed by two.

NIU kept the Golden Flashes from scoring in the next two innings as Powell reached via defensive error to start off the sixth inning. Hartman doubled to center field to send Powell across the plate. Lia Nance (Oceanside, Calif./Oceanside) reached via an error as Hartman scored the tying run. A third defensive error by Kent State loaded the bases with just one out in the inning before Kent State collected the final two outs.

Kent State’s first two batters of the seventh inning were hit by pitch before Caleigh Shaulis hit a three-run home run to center field to take an 8-5 lead over the Huskies.

Starting with a Morera walk, the Huskies first run came on a Katy Ramage (Germantown Hills, Ill./Metamora Township) RBI single to right field. A groundout advanced the Huskie runners before a wild pitch by Kent State sent Hartman across the plate. Ramage scored the tying run on a Turner (3-of-5) RBI single. Stewart hit her 12th double of the season for the walk-off win as Turner scored the game-winning run.

Madison Carlson (South Beloit, Ill./South Beloit) pitched 3.2 inning for the Huskies and collected a pair of strikeouts in the win.

Game Two Recap (NIU 15, Kent State 3 | 5 Innings)

Kent State scored on back-to-back singles in the first inning as they collected two hits.

Izzi Hanna (Granger, Ind./Penn) singled to center field for the Huskies first hit of the game that was followed by a Stewart infield single. Kayla Estrada (Riverside, Calif./Martin Luther King) had an RBI double that scored Hanna and Stewart to tie the game. Morera had the fourth hit of the inning, a single, before Powell reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Estrada. Morera stole home before a sacrifice hit from Hartman scored Powell for the fifth run of the inning.

The Huskie defense went 1-2-3 in the second inning as Hanna led the Huskies off in the bottom half with a single. A pair of walks loaded the bases as Morera hit a grand slam with no outs in the inning. NIU saw back-to-back singles as a walk to load the bases a second time as Nance reached on a fielder’s choice for the first out of the inning. Turner hit her first home run of the season, a grand slam as the Huskies extended their lead to 13-2. NIU added their final two runs of the inning on a walk and fielder’s choice before the Golden Flashes collected the final two outs.

Kent State scored their final run of the game in the top of the third on a passed ball.

Taylor Mackin (Minooka, Ill./Minooka Community) pitched two innings for the Huskies and recorded a strikeout. Stewart saw three innings of action and had five strikeouts for NIU.

“Got to give props to Coach Pasquale,” noted Gleason.” She gives them a plan, and they trust it and believe in it. They were disciplined in their at bats and just pass the bat mentality. I had a feeling when she (Jenna) stepped into the box to bat. We are one step at a time and take control of what you can.”

The Huskies and Golden Flashes will conclude the series on April 12 with first pitch set for 12 p.m.

Stay up-to-date with NIU Softball by visiting @NIUSoftball on Twitter/X, NIU Softball on Facebook, and @NIU_Softball on Instagram.

by Tony Strikes

NIU Men's Tennis: NIU Records Senior Day Win Over Ball State

The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team landed a 4-1 victory over Ball State on Saturday afternoon. Seniors Iker Gaztambide Arrastia, Federico Scotuzzi and Iker Dellien Velasco were honored prior to the match.

The Huskies (17-7, 7-3 MAC) closed out the regular season winning two of its last three and will compete in the Mid-American Conference Tournament next weekend. The win over the Cardinals splits the season series, avenging a 4-3 loss in March.

"Our team performance was Senior Day worthy. Co-Captains Arrastia and Scotuzzi led the way in the doubles," said head coach René Vidal. "Overall, we were mentally tough in difficult weather conditions and look forward to meeting the moment next week in Buffalo."

NIU claimed the doubles point to open the match, the sixth time in the last seven outings. At No. 1, Gaztambide Arrastia / Scotuzzi locked in a 6-2 victory, followed by a 6-4 victory at No. 2 from Nikola Puntaric / Lorenzo Leti Messina.

The Huskies jumped on Ball State early in singles play with No. 63 Gaztambide Arrastia (Pamplona, Spain / Jesuitas) and Puntaric (Ljubljana, Slovenia / Tulsa) each claiming 6-1, 6-1 victories.

Ball State answered with a win at No. 6 to get on the board, but Leti Messina (Rome, Italy / North Florida) clinched the match with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Jeremy Milette.

The final two matches were unfinished due to weather.

NIU caps its regular season with 12 home wins, the most in a single season since 2021 (13) and fourth most since 2005.

The Huskies will face Western Michigan in the MAC Tournament on Saturday, April 18 at 1 p.m. CT. The teams split the season series this spring.

Box Score

by Tony Strikes

NIU Baseball: Huskies Battle But Come Up One Run Short Against Kent State

The Northern Illinois University baseball team erased three Kent State leads and had the tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the ninth, but the Golden Flashes hung on for a 9-8 win at Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt & Janice Owens Park on Saturday afternoon.

“Today was a highly competitive baseball game,” said head coach Ryan Copeland. “Both sides did a lot of things very well. I loved our game offensively, just like yesterday, and played exceptional defense. It felt like a game that was going to come down to the final at-bat and they just got us today. We’re going to fight tomorrow to get the series.”

Caden Robertson (Magnolia, Texas/Central Oklahoma) led all players in the game with four hits, including a run-scoring double and a two-run home run. Gavin Baldwin (Nashville, Ill./SEMO) also had a home run in the game. Ivan Dahlberg (Minooka, Ill./Illinois-Springfield) was 2-for-5 with an RBI double. That trio was a combined 7-for-14 with seven RBI.

“Caden went almost a month without hitting one out of the park and he got one today,” Copeland said. “When you can get the top of the order going, it’s tough for the opposition to navigate.”

NIU (19-11, 11-6 MAC) was down 7-4 going into the bottom of the fifth. Robertson and Cole Smith (Dubuque, Iowa/Bradley) led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Baldwin then launched a three-run home run over the left centerfield wall, his seventh of the year, to tie the score at 7-7. A Wyatt Wawro (Darien, Ill./Downers Grove South) walk then chased Kent State starting pitcher Easton Tumis from the game. Evan Holewinski got out of the inning by getting a groundout and by catcher Brody Williams throwing out Wawro trying to steal second base.

Kent State (25-8, 13-4 MAC) took back the lead in the top of the sixth as a Ripken Reese home run made the score 8-7. The Huskies responded in the bottom of the inning with a two-out double from Robertson that drove in Charlie Parcell (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) to get back to even at 8-8. The Golden Flashes got their first two batters on base in the top of the seventh. Alejandro Covas drew a walk and Nolan Belcher was hit by a pitch. A Grady Mee sacrifice bunt moved the two runners into scoring position. With the infield in, Luke Matthews laced a single off the glove of a diving Will Couchman (Edina, Minn./NIACC) at third to bring home Covas and put Kent State up 9-8. John Lyman (Minneapolis, Minn./NIACC) got two flyouts to end the inning and keep the deficit at one run.

Matt Tarr (North Aurora, Ill./Purdue) entered the game from the NIU bullpen in the eighth and stranded a Kent State runner at third. The Huskies had a chance to tie the game in the bottom half of the frame. Parcell reached on a one-out single and got to second on a Smith groundout. Robertson drew a walk to bring Baldwin to the plate. Kent State closer Brody Krzysiak got Baldwin to foul out to Williams at first base to end the threat.

Tarr put another zero on the board in the bottom of the ninth, retiring the side in order. Dahlberg led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to center field. Kayden Jennings (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) pinch ran for Dahlberg and reached second on a Wawro sacrifice. Cooper Cohn (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) drew a walk to put the winning run on base. However, Krzysiak got a strikeout and a groundout to lock up the 9-8 win for the Golden Flashes.

“Our guys are extremely competitive and battled to the final out today,” said Copeland. “That’s what winning does. It keeps you believing that you’re never out of a game. We’ve put up 12 and eight runs on Kent State in the first two games of this series and they entered the weekend leading the MAC in pitching.”

Robertson put NIU up 2-0 in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run, his team-leading 11th of the season. Kent State responded with four runs in the top of the third, highlighted by a Micah Kiracofe two-run home run, to go up 4-2. The Huskies tied the game in the bottom of the third as a Dahlberg RBI double and Wawro RBI single made the score 4-4.

Reese, Matthews and Brady Marshall each had two hits for Kent State. Holewinski earned the win in relief, allowing one run on four hits in 3.1 innings pitched. Tarr had two strikeouts and a walk in two scoreless innings.

The rubber game of this weekend’s series is set for Sunday, April 12 at 1 p.m.

Full Box Score

by Tony Strikes