April 11, 2008

Box Score

Box Score in PDF Format

DeKALB, Ill. - Jordin Hood delivered a bases-loaded walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to lift Northern Illinois to a 5-4 victory over Akron in the series opener Friday afternoon at Ralph McKinzie Field. The Huskies (13-16, 6-4) rallied with three runs over the final three innings, including a pair in the ninth, to overcome the Zips and cold, rainy and windy conditions.

Trailing 4-3 in the ninth, NIU loaded the bases when Pat Minogue (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central) led off with a single, Jeff Thomas (Loves Park, Ill./Harlem) walked, and Bobby Stevens (Chicago, Ill./Guerin Prep) reached on a bunt single. The next batter, Justin Behm (Downers Grove, Ill./North) knotted the game at four with a single to left that scored Minogue. Hood (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Lake Zurich) then followed with a deep fly over a drawn-in outfield that landed on the centerfield warning track to plate Thomas for the winning run.

"We got a big run in the seventh and finally got our bats going in the ninth," said head coach Ed Mathey. "Jordin [Hood] got a couple of big hits for us today and it is nice to see him coming around. The weather was not conducive but it was a fun ballgame and a good win for us. Our pitchers did a nice job today as well with a good start from Trevor [Feeney] and Dan [Atkenson] out of the bullpen."

The Huskies opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the first when Stevens scored on an error and Hood delivered a RBI single.

After scoring a run in the second, Akron erased the lead on a RBI single by Kevin Haas in the third. The Zips added a single run in the fifth and sixth, the latter coming on a solo homer run by Dan McNaulty, to take a 4-2 lead.

NIU climbed back within a run in the seventh when Stevens scored on a fielder's choice, before completing the rally in the ninth.

Dan Atkenson (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) earned the win in relief (2-0), working 3.0 scoreless innings with just one hit and three strikeouts. Trevor Feeney (Channahon, Ill./Joliet Catholic) started, fanned six and yielded three earned runs in his 6.0 innings of work.

Garrett Knoll (0-2) took the loss for Akron (14-11, 1-3) who got 6.1 solid innings from starter Frank Turocy, who did not allow an earned run.

Hood led the Huskies with three RBI and joined Minogue and Stevens with two hits on the day.

The Huskies and Zips resume their series Saturday at 1 p.m. in a game that can be heard locally on WLBK (1360-AM) and worldwide on NIUHuskies.com.

HUSKIE TRACKS
-Trevor Feeney moved into sixth place on the NIU career strikeouts list with 160 and ninth on the all-time starts list with his 31st.
-Jordin Hood delivered his second walk-off hit in the last five home games.
-NIU pitchers have allowed four earned runs or fewer in 13 of the last 16 games.
-Pat Minogue is 11-for-27 in seven career games against Akron.
-Marvin Sanchez recorded his first career MAC hit with a second-inning infield single.