Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Northern Illinois
CMU Posts 8-6 MAC Win Over Northern Illinois
4/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 26, 2002
MOUNT PLEASANT - Central Michigan exploded for three runs in the bottom of the eighth and held on for an 8-6 Mid-American Conference triumph over Northern Illinois here Friday in the first of a four-game series.
Scott Pickens and Tim Groves hit back-to-back solo homers to lead off the eighth, and Danny Gibbons singled in another to make it 8-4 in CMU's favor. The runs were needed, however, as NIU scored two on a two-run homer by Rob Marconi, his fifth safety of the game.
Lee Naplin came in to shut down the Huskies and pick up his first save of the season. He went the final two-third of an inning and gaved up two hits but no runs. Dan Horvath was the starter and winner, pushing his record to 3-3. He scattered 11 hits and gave up six runs while striking out 10. He hit four NIU batters.
The two teams are slated to meet in a doubleheader here Saturday at 1 p.m. There will also be dedication ceremonies for the new Theunissen Stadium beginning at 12:40 p.m.
Central vaulted out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Tim Bullinger doubled to open the inning and took third on a wild pitch. Mike Gates walked with two outs and stole second, and both runners scampered home on Keith Sampsell's single to right center.
The Huskies fought back with a run of their own in the top of the second on a pair of doubles by Rob Marconi and Mike Hochhauser. NIU took the lead with two runs in the fourth, one on a double by Pat Kerrigan and the other on a single by Bilal Omar.
CMU battled back with two in the fourth to take a 4-3 lead. Tommy Grubb had an RBI single and the other run was unearned.
The Chippewas upped their lead to 5-3 with an unearned marker in the seventh inning.
NIU cut the deficit to 5-4 with a solo homer in the eighth by Dave Garcia, his third.
Groves had three hits to pace Central while Bullinger and Gibbons had two each. The Huskies outhit CMU, 13-12.
