Box Score May 20, 2017 Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML)
OXFORD, Ohio - The Miami baseball team fell to Northern Illinois, 5-4, on Saturday at McKie Field. The defeat ends the team's season and their hopes at a MAC Tournament bid. Ross Haffey led the Miami effort by going 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, one run scored and two runs batted in.
An RBI single in the top of the second got the Huskies on the scoreboard first. They would double their margin in the third, capitalizing on a Miami error. The Red & White were able to cut the deficit in half in the home half of the inning. Hayden Senger got hit by a pith to start it off then, after an out, J.T. Stone singled up the middle to put two on for Haffey, who singled to load the bases. A Landon Stephens ground ball the next at-bat turned into a fielder's choice and a run after the Huskies were unable to turn two. Senger scored on the play.
In the fifth, the RedHawks were able to take their first lead of the day. Senger started the frame by getting on because of a dropped third strike and then Tyler Harris reached on an error on the NIU right fielder. Following an out, Haffey doubled to deep right, scoring Senger. Next up was Landon Stephens, who gave Miami the lead with an infield single to the hole in-between shortstop and third as Harris was able to cross home plate. At the end of five innings of play, the Red & White had themselves a 3-2 advantage.
The Miami margin was short-lived though as the Huskies answered right back with a two-run sixth. They would add an important insurance tally in their half of the eighth with a sacrifice fly.
Facing a 5-3 deficit entering the bottom of the ninth, the Red & White were able to make things interesting with a solo blast from Haffey, but that was as close as they would get as NIU held on for the victory, ending Miami's season.
The 'Hawks finish the season with an overall record of 22-34 with a 8-16 mark in MAC play.