Miami Falls 6-5 to NIU in 15-Inning MAC Tourney Game

Thursday, May 21

Avon, Ohio

2 p.m.

Miami University

38-16

Northern Illinois University

33-17

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Northern Illinois	0	0	1	0	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	12	2
Miami	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	16	2

Miami Falls 6-5 to NIU in 15-Inning MAC Tourney Game

5/21/2026 8:10:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

AVON, Ohio – The RedHawks lost a 6-5 battle with the Northern Illinois Huskies on Thursday after playing six extra innings. Carson Byers, Austin Berggren and Jake Tedesco kept the game competitive, combining for 8.0 scoreless innings and holding the Huskies to a combined three hits. The RedHawks fall to 38-16 (25-8 MAC) with the victory, while the Huskies improve to 32-17 (21-12 MAC).

HOW IT HAPPENED:

In the top of the first, Zac Sohosky faced five batters and held the Huskies scoreless with a flyout, groundout, and strikeout. Evan Appelwick was the lone baserunner for the RedHawks in the bottom of the first, reaching first base with a single.
Three strikeouts from Sohosky in the top of the second left two NIU baserunners stranded. Diego Cruz took an HBP and stole second in the bottom of the inning, but was left on the basepaths.
NIU scored the game's first run in the third, hitting a solo homer down the left-field line with two outs to take a 1-0 lead. Marcus Dierks started up Miami's offense in response with a one-out single up the middle. Appelwick walked to put Dierks in scoring position, and Tommy Harrison came up with an infield single that drove in a run to create a 1-1 tie.
Sohosky saw three up and sent three down at the top of the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth, Cruz came up with a one-out double down the right-field line, and Dominic Krupinski sent him running home with a double out to deep left-center. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Krupinski scored as Dierks recorded his second base hit of the day, an RBI single up the middle, to make it a 3-1 Miami advantage.
NIU rallied in the fifth, putting up back-to-back singles with one out before pounding a triple down the left-field line to drive in both baserunners. A sac fly added another run, giving NIU back the lead, 4-3. The Huskies held Miami to one baserunner in the bottom of the fifth.
The Huskies added to their lead in the sixth, taking a 5-3 advantage after hitting two back-to-back singles. Krupinski came up with his second hit of the day in the bottom of the frame, a single through the left side with one out. Dierks then took an HBP to give the RedHawks a second baserunner, but two quick outs kept the score 5-3.
Byers entered the game to pitch in relief in the seventh and had a one-two-three inning that included two strikeouts. Ryan Novak singled in the bottom but couldn't come home to score.
Byers pitched another three-up, three-down inning in the eighth. Dierks then singled for Miami with two outs, his third hit of the day. The hit set up Appelwick for his 14th bomb of the season, a deep shot against the wind to left field that tied the game at 5-5.
The Huskies managed one in the ninth, but Byers sent down all three other batters to send the RedHawks to the plate tied 5-5. Ignacio Gonzalez led off in the bottom of the ninth with a single up the middle and moved to second as Novak took an HBP. A double play sent Gonzalez to third, but a close throw at first base on the next at-bat resulted in a groundout and sent the game to extras.
Byers pitched a groundout, and Carson Raether caught a foul ball in the net to record the first two outs of the tenth. After an HBP put one aboard for the Huskies, Byers struck out the final batter of the half. In the bottom of the tenth, Miami made three straight outs.
Pitching in relief, Berggren erased a 3-0 count to strike out the first batter of the 11th and quickly struck out two more to end the top. Appelwick led off the bottom of the 11th with a walk and advanced on a groundout by Harrison. Novak was intentionally walked, and Raether hit an infield single, but Appelwick was tagged out at home plate for out number three.
Berggren put one runner on with one out in the 12th, but struck a batter out as Raether and Gonzalez caught the runner stealing second to end the half.
Tedesco entered the game at the top of the 13th and recorded two outs before NIU singled and advanced on a wild pitch. Another runner came aboard via a walk, but Tedesco threw three swinging strikes to secure the third out. The RedHawks put two runners on via a walk and an error in the bottom of the 13th, but did not score, pushing the game on to inning 14.
Tedesco faced just four batters in the top of the 14th, with NIU's only baserunner taking first on a fielding error. Raether and Cruz led off the bottom of the inning with back-to-back singles. An intentional walk issued to Dierks loaded the bases with two outs, but a flyout marked the sixth straight scoreless inning for both teams.
The Huskies broke the tie in the 15th, scoring after a walk and two singles. Gonzalez walked in the bottom of the inning, but two strikeouts rendered him the final baserunner of the game and rounded out the 6-5 15-inning loss.