Baseball Can't Close it out, Drops Series Finale at Northern Illinois

Sunday, April 9

DeKalb, Ill.

1 p.m. (ET)

Central Michigan University

Northern Illinois

Freshman Cole Prout hit his first career home run on Sunday in CMU's 6-5 loss at Northern Illinois.

Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw

Baseball Can't Close it out, Drops Series Finale at Northern Illinois

4/9/2023 4:50:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

By: Andy Sneddon

DeKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning on Sunday in handing Central Michigan a 6-5 loss in the finale of a three-game Mid-American Conference baseball series at the Huskies' McKinzie Field.

The Chippewas won the series and are 17-13, 7-5 MAC. They had won 13 consecutive games over NIU dating to 2019.

The Chippewas entertain Hillsdale in a nonconference game on Tuesday, April 11 (3 p.m.) at Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium and then welcome MAC-leading Ball State for a three-game MAC series next weekend.

Ryan Palmblad (1-4) took the loss on Sunday in relief of starter Garrett Navarra. Palmblad allowed three runs on four hits over 2 2/3 innings.

The Chippewas scored twice in the first inning and led all the way until the bottom of the ninth.

Down 5-4, NIU got back-to-back singles to open the frame and the baserunners were bunted into scoring position. Aaron Harper then delivered a two-run single for the walk-off win as NIU (6-24, 3-9) snapped a seven-game losing streak.

Robby Morgan IV had an RBI single in the first inning and Luke Sefcik drove in two runs with sacrifice flies, one in the first, the other in the third, for the Chippewas.

Cole Prout, a freshman from Standish, hit his first career homer, a one-out solo shot in the sixth inning, to up CMU's lead to 4-1.

The Chippewas got their final run in the seventh when Jacob Donahue led off with a double, stole third, and scored on an error.

CMU stranded two runners in scoring position in the seventh inning, left the bases loaded in the eighth, and Christian Mitchelle was called out at home for missing the plate attempting to score on a passed ball to end the Chippewas' half of the ninth inning.

Navarra allowed three runs on six hits and struck out four over 5 2/3 innings.

Palmblad got the final out of the sixth on a grounder, stranding two. He allowed a run in the eighth as NIU crept to within 5-4, but he managed to limit the damage with back-to-back strikeouts and then a groundout to leave the bases loaded.