NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Northern Illinois University baseball team dropped the final game of its three-game series at Lipscomb Sunday afternoon 15-3.
 
NIU (0-11) was held to one hit over the first four innings as Lipscomb built a 10-0 lead. Freshman pitcher Tommy Meyer (Wauwatosa, Wis./Wauwatosa East) entered the game in the fifth inning and threw two scoreless innings. Meyer allowed just one hit that was erased with a double play in the bottom of the sixth.
 
The Huskies got on the board in the top of the seventh. Aaron Harper (Hemet, Calif./Mt. San Jacinto College) led off with a walk. Jonathan Latham (Mahomet, Ill./Danville Area CC) then hit a two-run home run, his first as a Huskie, to make the score 10-2. After a pair of outs, Paddy McKermitt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) drew a walk. Pinch-hitter Brandon Johnson (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle Twp.) laced a triple to right center to bring McKermitt around to score NIU's third run.
 
Lipscomb (7-4) answered NIU's three runs with five in the bottom of the seventh to go up 15-3. Mason Ruh (Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran HS) threw a scoreless eighth for NIU, his third scoreless frame of the season.
 
"It was great to see Tommy Meyer and Mason Ruh have good, quality clean innings for us today," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "That is something we can build on moving forward. Right now we have to have a great week of practice to prepare for MAC play."
 
NIU opens Mid-American Conference play next weekend with a four-game series at Ohio. The series begins on Friday, March 11 at 4 p.m.
 
--NIU--