MURRAY, Ky. – Sophomore Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) had four hits in the Northern Illinois University baseball team's doubleheader at Reagan Field against the Murray State Racers, but Murray State swept the twinbill by scores of 8-5 and 13-2.
 
Murray State (6-0) opened the seven-inning game one with four runs in the bottom of the first, highlighted by a two-run home run from Jacob Pennington. The Huskies got on the board in the top of the second inning. Aaron Harper (Hemet, Calif./Mt. San Jacinto College) drew a leadoff walk, then got to second base on a wild pitch from Shane Burns. Mason Kelley (Mt. Washington, Ky./Schoolcraft College) then singled up the middle to give NIU runners at the corners. Paxton Kennedy (Mendota, Ill./Illinois Valley CC) drove Harper home with a sacrifice fly to make the score 4-1.
 
NIU (0-7) tied the game in the top of the third inning. Jack Blazevich (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South) and Erato drew back-to-back walks to lead off the frame. After a popout, Carlos Aranda (Santo Domingo, D.R./Ellsworth CC) walked to load the bases. Harper then drew a walk to score Blazevich and put the score at 4-2. Murray State then went to the bullpen for Matt Boynton, who walked Malik Peters (Calumet City, Ill./Mount Carmel) to drive home Erato and get NIU within a run at 4-3. Kelley drew the Huskies level at 4-4 with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Aranda.
 
The Racers took back the lead in the bottom half of the third on a two-out RBI double from Vogel put the hosts up 5-4. NIU had a chance to tie the game in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with two outs on an Erato single and back-to-back walks from Aranda and Matt Barnes (Bloomington, Ill./Heartland CC). Boynton got out of the inning unscathed as Harper bounced out to shortstop Drew Vogel to end the threat. Murray State put a run on the board in the bottom of the fourth to take a 6-4 lead, then scored twice in the fifth to go ahead 8-4. NIU got within three at 8-5 with a run in the sixth, but that was as close as it would get.
 
"Murray State did a good job of making us pay for our mistakes," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "We need to be better at limiting the big innings and grinding out more at-bats. We're not where we want to be right now but we're going to get there."
 
Erato was 2-for-3 with two runs scored for NIU in the opener. Kelley also had two hits for the Huskies. Michael Lasiewicz (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) started the game on the mound and allowed six runs in four innings. Conner Lutes (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) allowed two runs in two innings with a pair of strikeouts in relief.
 
Murray State won the nightcap 13-2 in seven innings. Erato went 2-for-3 in the game with an RBI triple. Redshirt-Freshman Daniel Clawson (Arlington Heights, Ill./Hersey) recorded his first career hit as a Huskie with a pinch-hit run-scoring single.
 
NIU and Murray State wrap up their four-game series on Monday, Feb. 28 at 2 p.m.
 
--NIU--