April 2, 2008

Box Score

Box Score in PDF Format

DeKALB, Ill. - A 10th-inning walkoff single by Jordin Hood (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Lake Zurich) scored Danny Reed (Lindstrom, Minn./North Iowa Area CC) to lift Northern Illinois to a 3-2 victory over UW-Milwaukee Wednesday afternoon at Ralph McKinzie Field. The Huskies earned their third consecutive non-conference victory while improving to 10-14 overall.

"It is good to be back on the winning side and you always feel better about yourself after a victory," said head coach Ed Mathey. "It was great to see Jordin come through with the winning hit and hopefully that gets him going after struggled a bit early in the season."

The teams traded runs in the first inning with the Panthers getting a RBI single from Nick Wichser and the Huskies scoring on a bases-loaded walk to Jeff Thomas (Loves Park, Ill./Harlem).

With the score tied at one, Northern Illinois took its first lead with a run in the fifth. Pat Minogue (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central) reached on an errant throw by the catcher following a strikeout, stole second and came across to score on a RBI single by Dave Reynolds (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg).

Milwaukee answered in the seventh and knotted the game at two on a RBI single by Troy Vesling.

The Huskies threatened in the ninth but left two aboard before striking for the winning run in the extra frame.

Reynolds (3-0) notched the win in relief for NIU while Jordan Herbert (0-4) took the loss for the Panthers (5-17). Huskie starter Brandon Copp (Aurora, Ill./West) worked 5.0 innings with four strikeouts in a no-decision effort. The lefthander allowed three hits, one earned run and no walks and retired 13 of his last 14 batters faced.

Hood, Reynolds and Bobby Stevens (Chicago, Ill./Guerin Prep) each collected two hits in the game for the Huskies.

NIU returns to action Friday with its first MAC home game of the season, a 3 p.m. contest against defending league champion Kent State. The game can be heard locally on WLBK 1360-AM and worldwide on NIUHuskies.com.

HUSKIE TRACKS
-The Huskies recorded their first walk-off win of the season and first since May 5, 2007 vs. Western Michigan.
-Northern Illinois has allowed four earned runs or fewer in 10 of its last 11 games.
-Four of the Huskies' last five games have been one-run decisions. NIU is 2-2 during that stretch 2-3 in one-run games this season.
-NIU has won four of its last five meetings against Milwaukee and owns a 29-19 all-time record in the series.
-Dave Reynolds is hitting .714 (5-for-7) in his career against UW-Milwaukee.
-Matt Behren started at catcher and appeared in his first game since the season opener Feb. 28 after missing the last 22 games with a hand injury.

-NIU-