Baseball offense goes cold against NIU pitching Saturday
Northern Illinois pitcher Eli Anderson threw complete games in his first two starts in Mid-American Conference play.
Saturday was no different, pitching nine innings and striking out six in a 7-2 win against Central Michigan at Theunissen Stadium.
“He pounded the strike zone pretty good,” said head coach Steve Jaksa. “He can throw his breaking ball for a strike and he did a good job going in and out on the lefties.”
The Huskies took an early 1-0 lead after sophomore Dylan Rheault walked the first two batters and a single by second baseman Alex Klonowski drove in centerfielder Jamison Wells. First baseman Jeff Zimmerman followed by flying out to sophomore centerfielder Nick Regnier. Leftfielder Tommy Hook tried to tag from third, but was thrown out by Regnier.
CMU tied the game in the bottom of the inning on an RBI groundout by senior third baseman Jordan Adams.
NIU went ahead 2-1 in the top of the third when an attempted pick off at second base led to a throwing error by second baseman Pat MacKenzie. The ball skipped by Adams at third base, allowing Hook to score.
In the fifth, Rheault hit the leadoff batter with a pitch and a past ball advanced him to second. After a groundout, Hook drove him in with a single. The Huskies added three more in the inning, extending their lead to 6-1.
Rheault was replaced during the inning. He pitched 4.1 innings, giving up six hits, six runs (five earned), while walking four.
“It was a tough inning,” Jaksa said. “We gave up four runs and I think that made it real difficult to make a run at them like we would have liked to.”
The Chippewas offense went stagnant after the first inning, spreading out five hits the rest of the game.
They tacked on a run in the eighth after Adams drove in freshman right fielder Logan Regnier with a single. Logan went 4-for-4 with a steal.
“He’s learning every time he goes out there,” Jaksa said. “He laid a bunt down for a hit and that’s now two in two days. I think he’s seeing the ball well.”
After beating NIU on Friday, the Chippewas will look to win the weekend series Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
