The Northern Illinois University baseball team wrapped up its four-game series with the Ball State Cardinals on Monday afternoon, falling 15-1 in eight innings at Ralph McKinzie Field.
NIU (7-31, 6-16 MAC) freshman pitcher Tommy Meyer (Wauwatosa, Wis./Wauwatosa East) made his second career start and retired the first five Ball State batters he faced, highlighted by shortstop Paddy McKermitt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) robbing Nick Powell of a hit with a diving grab on a line drive to end the first. Ryan Peltier got the Cardinals' first hit with two outs in the top of the second on a single. He later stole second base and scored on a Justin Conant single that put Ball State up 1-0.
Ball State (25-14, 15-4 MAC) loaded the bases on an error and two walks in the fourth. A passed ball allowed Zach Cole to score from third and make the score 2-0. A wild pitch then let Conant come home for a 3-0 Cardinals lead. After a walk to Zach Lane, Amir Wright singled up the middle to bring Matthew Rivera in to make the score 4-0. The Cardinals tacked on four more runs in the fifth to go up 8-1.
NIU got on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Carlos Aranda (Santo Domingo, D.R./Ellsworth CC) laced a double to left centerfield with one out. He advanced to third on a wild pitch after a flyout for the second out of the inning. Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) drove in the Huskies' designated hitter with a double to make the score 8-1. The Cardinals broke the game open with seven runs in the top of the eighth to take a 15-1 lead, which went on to be the final score.
"It was a tough weekend for us," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "We need to be better and put in good practices this week so we are better next weekend."
Erato was 2-for-3 in the game with an RBI and a stolen base. Aranda, Brandon Johnson (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle Twp.) and Aaron Harper (Hemet, Calif./Mt. San Jacinto College) each had a hit as well. Meyer allowed four runs, one of which was earned, in four innings on the mound on four hits and three walks.
The Huskies head to Western Michigan for a four-game series against the Broncos beginning Friday, April 29 at 2 p.m. CT.
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