April 13, 2012
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio -- After scoring just one run in each of its last two games, Miami's offense came alive, but wasn't enough as the RedHawks fell to Northern Illinois, 8-7, Friday night at McKie Field. Every batter for Miami (17-17, 4-6 MAC) had a base hit but the Huskies (9-24, 3-7 MAC) scored an unearned run in the top of the ninth to win.
Northern Illinois wasted no time as the leadoff hitter in the first inning ripped a double to left field, moved to third on a wild pitch and came in to score on a groundout to the shortstop. Miami countered with a run in the bottom of the opening frame. Matt Honchel singled to reach base, moved to third on a Kevin Bower hit and scored when John Crummy singled to left field.
The Huskies regained the lead in the top of the third after loading the bases with a single and a pair of bunt singles. Jordan Huffman drew a walk from Fiala to give NIU a 2-1 lead with no outs in the inning. After a short pop up for the first out, a sacrifice fly to right field extended the Husky lead to 3-1 before Fiala recovered to strike out the final batter.
Miami answered back in the bottom of the fourth when Marcus Makuch pulled fastball off the wall in right field for his first career triple, scoring Dan Walsh, who had singled. Ryan Brenner added the tying run when he grounded out to second to score Makuch. The RedHawks took their first lead on Honchel's double that scored Scott Slappey from second. Bryce Redeker finished the rally with a single to score Honchel, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. The four-run outburst gave Miami a 5-3 lead through four innings.
Northern Illinois responded with a four-spot of its own in the top of the fifth inning thanks to a sacrifice fly, RBI single and two-run homerun that just cleared the left field fence to retake the lead at 7-5.
Joe Neff took the mound in relief of Fiala in the top of the sixth and quickly sat the Huskies down in order. In the bottom half of the inning, the Miami offense again came to life as Redeker hit a pitch to shallow center field to score Brenner and Slappey from second and third, respectively.
Neff continued his mastery of Northern Illinois in the top of the seventh as he again put the visitors away in order with two strikeouts and a softly hit grounder to short. The RedHawk righty retook the mound in the top of the eighth and retired two of the first three batters he faced, but with both outs coming on long fly balls to right field, Miami head coach Dan Simonds brought in closer Nathan Williams to finish off the inning.
In the top of the ninth, Williams struck out the leadoff hitter, but the next Husky, Alex Jones, lifted a fly ball to left field that Honchel mishandled for Miami's only error of the game. Jones moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly to right to give Northern Illinois the late lead. Huskie closer Kyle Glancy pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth to record his sixth save.
RedHawk starter Brooks Fiala went five innings, surrendering seven runs, all earned, on 10 hits and a walk while striking out four. Taylor Nawrocki (3-3) earned the win for Northern Illinois, giving up seven runs on 13 hits and a walk. He struck out four.
Miami and Northern Illinois continue the series on Saturday, April 14 at 3 p.m.
