Chippewas rally falls short as baseball loses to NIU
Members of Central Michigan University baseball team place their hats over their hearts as the national anthem is sung.
Despite a solid effort at the plate, the Central Michigan University baseball team could not keep up with the offensive production of Northern Illinois University.
The Chippewas' offense fell just short during a 6-5 loss at the hands of the Huskies on Saturday at Theunissen Stadium.
CMU had the tying run in scoring position in the top of the ninth inning, but senior catcher Tyler Huntey popped up to center field and the Chippewas fell to 29-17 overall and 14-6 in MAC play this season.
NIU got on the board early, pushing two runs across during the top of the first inning. But CMU answered back, scoring a pair of their own in the bottom of the first.
Huntey doubled in second baseman Pat MacKenzie for CMU's first run. Huntey scored CMU's second run thanks to a bloop RBI single from center fielder Nick Regnier one batter later.
On the first pitch of the third inning, Huskie first baseman Micah McCulloch clobbered a home run to left field to give NIU a 3-2 lead.
CMU junior third baseman Joe Houlihan provided a mid-game surge when his solo home run down the left field line in the bottom of the fifth inning tied the game at three runs a piece.
Two innings later, CMU freshman reliever Sean Martens walked in a run to tie the game at four and an NIU single brought in two more runs.
Houlihan notched a sacrifice ground out in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull CMU within one run of a tie game, but the Chippewas never pushed the run they needed across the plate.
The two teams will meet for the rubber match of the series at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday at Theunissen Stadium.
