May 12, 2008

Box Score

DeKALB, Ill. -- -

            After falling behind 6-2, the University of Northern Iowa baseball team brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh and eighth innings but could not bring him home in a 7-4 loss to Northern Illinois Monday afternoon at Ralph McKinzie Field.

            Mike O'Leary was charged with the loss, falling to 2-4 on the season. UNI drops to 28-20 on the year. Brandon Copp earned the win for NIU, and the Huskies improved to 24-23 with the victory.

            The Panthers collected eight hits in the game, including a pair each from Dane Embury and Brandon Douglas, who also had his ninth home run of the season. Travis Hendrix recorded a hit to extend his hitting streak to 10 games and to become the fifth Panther to record a double-digit hitting streak on the season. Nick Lauver and Joe Gonzalez combined to allow just one hit and one run in the game's final three innings. Lauver struck out five of the 10 batters he faced.

            Embury led off the game with a bunt single to the right side of the infield. Travis Hendrix hit a ground ball to first, and Embury was thrown out at second on the fielder's choice. Brandon Douglas hit a two-run home run, clearing the wall in centerfield and giving UNI a 2-0 lead. Brett Featherston hit a two-out double into the left field corner, but a strike out to Andy Steichen stranded him at second.

            Bobby Stevens was hit by a pitch, and Jordin Hood singled up the middle to move Stevens to third with one out. Justin Behm singled through the right side to score Stevens and cut the Panther lead to 2-1. Matt Behren reached on an error to load the bases with one out. Hood scored on a sacrifice fly into right by Danny Reed, tying the game at 2-2.

            Nick Badgley reached on a leadoff walk in the bottom of the second. Anthony Maziur hit a one-out double down the right line to move Badgley to third. Stevens hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Badgley and give the Huskies a 3-2 lead. Hood grounded out to short to end the inning.

            Marvin Sanchez drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fourth. Stevens hit a one-out double into left, scoring Sanchez and putting NIU in front 4-2. Stevens was caught in a rundown trying to stretch the hit into a triple, and the Panthers were able tag him out for the second out of the inning. Relief pitcher Shuhei Fujiya got Hood to ground out to end the inning.

            NIU used a pair of singles and a Panther error to load the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the fifth. Dave Reynolds singled through the right side, advancing everyone one base to score Behm and give the Huskies a 5-2 lead. A single from Badgley kept the bases loaded and scored Behren. Joe Buonavolanto flied out to shallow left center, recording the first out of the inning. Fujiya struck out Maziur and Stevens to end the inning with UNI trailing, 6-2.

            Chris Lopez drew a pinch-hit walk with one out in the top of the seventh. Cory Ege and Levi Ferguson each followed with singles up the middle to load the bases with one out. Eddie Almonte hit a sacrifice fly into right center to score Lopez and cut the UNI deficit to 6-3. Embury singled through the right side to score Ege. NIU catcher Behren tried to pick off Embury at first, and his throw went into right field to allow Ferguson and Embury to each advance. NIU reliever Dave Nykiel recorded a strike out to end the inning and the runners at second and third.

            Nick Lauver struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh to send UNI into the top of the eighth trailing by a pair of runs.

            Brandon Douglas led off the top of the eighth with a single through the left side. Brett Douglas was thrown out on a short ground ball, moving Brandon Douglas to second with one out. Nykiel struck out back-to-back Panther batters to strand Douglas at second.

            NIU used a single and a pair of walks to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Danny Reed was hit by a pitch to score Stevens and extend the NIU lead to 7-4.

            Almonte was hit by a pitch with two outs, but Joe Buonavolanto backhanded a ground ball up the middle by Embury and threw him out at first to end the game.

            The Panthers return to action on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. when they open a three-game series against Missouri State at Riverfront Stadium.