Opportunistic Chippewas Take Series Opener at NIU

Friday, March 21

DeKalb, Ill.

3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT

Central Michigan University

7-15, 3-1

Northern Illinois

7-11, 1-6

Central Michigan

Northern Illinois

Opportunistic Chippewas Take Series Opener at NIU Image

Rees Campanale homered Friday in CMU's 7-6 MAC victory at Northern Illinois.

Photo by: @Simon Barbre 2023

3/21/2025 7:36:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

CMU scores three in the 9th for second straight come-from-behind victory

By: Andy Sneddon

DeKALB, Ill. – A little luck never hurts. Neither does a little faith.

Down to its last out, the Central Michigan baseball team scored three runs on an error in topping Northern Illinois, 7-6, on Friday in the opener of a three-game Mid-American Conference baseball series at the Huskies' Ralph McKinzie Field.

It was Central Michigan's fifth win in its last six games and its second straight ninth-inning victory after Wednesday's 6-5 nonconference home win over Clearly.

The Chippewas, who improved to 7-15, 3-1 MAC, and Huskies (7-11, 1-6) are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday at noon (ET).

CMU trailed, 6-4, with two out and the bases empty in the top of the ninth when Cole Prout walked, Cayden Smith was hit by a pitch, and Aaron Piasecki walked to load the bases.

Rees Campanale lifted a fly ball to the warning track in left field and the ball was dropped, allowing all three runners to race home to put CMU in front, 7-6.

"We've been so good with two outs where our guys just don't feel like it's over until it's over, which is awesome to have that feeling," CMU coach Jake Sabol said. "I give them a lot of credit."

Liam Stumpf (1-4), the fourth CMU pitcher, earned the win. He came on with two out in the seventh inning and the bases loaded and got a strikeout to end the frame.

He then set down the Huskies in order in the eighth and the ninth, getting an outstanding running catch from center fielder Zach Knowlton to open the ninth.

Stumpf, a redshirt junior right-hander, has not allowed a hit in his last three appearances covering five innings.

"He did a good job of getting us out of the seventh with limited damage and then we just rolled with him because he seemed to be filling it up and that's what we needed at that point," Sabol said. "Liam deserved to go back out there for (the ninth) and we rode him, and it paid off."

The Chippewas equaled their season high with four errors in the game – just three of NIU's six runs were earned – and they were outhit, 10-9. The Huskies stranded 16 baserunners.

Campanale, who had not played since March 9, hit a pinch-hit solo home run in the fourth inning and then had an RBI single in the sixth. The junior stepped in at designated hitter for Jake Kutella, who left the game with an injury.

"We've wanted to get (Campanale) in there," Sabol said. "He's a good player and he's kind of stuck in a logjam in the outfield right now and the way some of those other guys are swinging he's just been the odd man out.

"We've been telling him to stay ready, you're going to get a chance at some point. Boy was he ready. He had good at-bats all day long and that's awesome to see.

"When things aren't always going your way, you're not playing every day, it can be frustrating, but he's been upbeat and positive and he was ready when his number was called and it was certainly a big deal for us today."

Prout singled and doubled, giving him three consecutive games in which he has had multiple hits as he extended his hit streak to six games. Nathan Ball singled to extend his hit streak to nine games.