April 25, 2010

Final Stats

Final Box

TOLEDO, Ohio - A six-run fourth inning came just in time for the Northern Illinois baseball team to claim a three-game series finale 6-1 win in a rain-shortened 5.1 innings over Toledo on a soggy and brisk Sunday afternoon at Scott Park.

"You always want to win the series, but if you can't win it, you can't get swept," said NIU head coach Ed Mathey. "If you're going to win one game, the best is that last one because you take a winning streak with you."

After missing out on scoring opportunities in each of the first three innings, the Huskies (15-24, 6-9 Mid-American Conference) took a patient and free ride to six runs, five with two outs, in the fourth by scoring on three hits, three hit-by-pitches and two walks. Troy White and Joe Etcheverry started the frame with consecutive singles to the right side. Following Alex Beckmann's sacrifice bunt and Brett Frantini's left elbow being grazed by a pitch, Jamison Wells grounded out to short stop Jared Hoying to score White. With two outs and Alex Jones at the plate, a wild pitch scored Etcheverry before Jones walked. After Joe Buonavolanto was hit on his left side by a pitch, Dave Reynolds drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Frantini. Jordin Hood was then hit by a pitch on his left side as well to score Jones. Troy White provided the dagger by roping a single up the middle for two runs, scoring Buonavolanto and Reynolds.

"Everybody contributed in that inning," Mathey said. "Obviously, when you get a couple walks and hit batters, that fuels the fire. But you need to come through with hits and we did that. We talked about hitting line drives before the game and we did a better job of that today."

The crooked-number inning for NIU came right after the Rockets (23-16, 10-5 MAC) took a 1-0 lead in the third on a two-out single up the middle by Chris Dudics. Huskies starter Tom Barry then kept momentum on NIU's side by putting up zeroes in fourth and fifth frames. The lefty pitched around a leadoff double in the fourth and two-out double in the fifth. Prior to the tally, Barry retired the first eight batters of the game.

"Tom Barry did an excellent job today and threw well," said Mathey. "It was good to see the offense come through too."

The Mid-American Conference contest got underway after an hour rain delay, bringing the game back to its originally scheduled noon CST start time, and the showers got the most of the game with a steady stream in the top of the sixth. The tarp was put on the field and both teams waited 70 minutes before the decision was made by crew chief Gene Klotz to end the game, giving the Huskies their first rain-shortened victory since an eight-inning, 4-3 win at Illinois Chicago on April 24th, 2007.

Barry (3-3) earned the win, allowing one earned run on five hits. In the best start of his career, he also allowed no walks and struck out a career-high five.

"They got that two-out run in the third, but Tom threw the ball well before that," Mathey said. "Tom settled down and didn't let it get out of hand in the third. His effort today was outstanding. He set the tone early and battled in the middle.

"It's not easy throwing in the rain, like it was coming down on him in the fifth. He did a great job."

Rockets starter Lincoln Rassi (4-3) was tagged with the loss after allowing all six earned runs on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 3.2 innings.

White led the NIU offense, going 3-for-3 with a run scored and two runs driven in. Buonavolanto was also perfect on the day, going 2-for-2 with a walk and run. Reynolds added a hit, run, walk and RBI. Etcheverry also had a hit and run.

"Troy and Joe Buonavolanto had solid days at the plate," said Mathey. "We had good production from those two."

Next up for the Huskies will be their season-long, seven-game home stand that starts with a 3:30 p.m. CST contest against Bradley Wednesday, April 28th at Ralph McKinzie Field.