Baseball drops MAC series opener to Northern Illinois, 2-1

Friday, April 26

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

3 p.m.

Central Michigan University

14-28, 5-14

Northern Illinois

14-27, 8-11

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Northern Illinois	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	8	1
Central Michigan	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	4	0

Ben Vitas vs. Northern Illinois (4/26/24)

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

4/26/2024 6:07:00 PM | Baseball

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Ben Vitas goes seven for fourth time in five starts, ends with no decision; Chippewas end with two in scoring position

By: Harrison LaLone

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Central Michigan Baseball fell, 2-1, to Northern Illinois Friday at Theunissen Stadium to open the weekend's Mid-American Conference series.

Ben Vitas notched his fourth start of at least seven innings of his last five, though he received no decision for the contest after being replaced in a 1-1 tie to start the eighth. The senior struck out four, allowed just six baserunners for the Huskies over his 21 outs, his lone run tallied on a double play in the second frame.

A lead-off hit-by-pitch for Elijah Henning in the fifth led to CMU's first key chance at a tying it back up, but back-to-back groundouts surrendered the junior shortstop at third base, the fifth Chippewa left on the base paths to that point compared to just one from NIU.

Vitas battled through the seventh frame to keep the contest to a 1-0 deficit before his exit. As he had throughout much of the game, Vitas retired the first two Husky bats but back-to-back knocks into left, then a passed ball left two in position to score. A deep fly ball to right-center tracked down by Jake Brill preserved the margin for the time being.

Another lead-off miscue for NIU put Drew Loikits in motion in the bottom of the inning. After a Henning sacrifice moved the freshman second baseman to third, Nick Dardas was able to plate him with a grounder to short, tying the game, 1-1, to preserve Vitas's status of no decision.

NIU scored in the ensuing top half of the eighth on a line drive through the left side to mark the final tally of the contest. The sequence left right-hander Bryce Hellgeth (1-4) with the loss in two innings of work, two hits, two walks to one strikeout.

After a Marquis Jackson walk, Loikits executed a perfect bunt on the first-base line to leave the bag uncovered, resulting in a base hit, setting up Sandyn Cuthrell for another sacrifice attempt to move both runners into position.

With two outs, Dardas returned to the plate from his ninth spot in the order—had been the lead-off for 13 straight games heading into Friday—though a swinging strikeout left the Chippewas on-base.

Central Michigan Baseball returns to Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium Saturday for game two of the weekend's three-game league series, a 1 p.m. first pitch.

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