Baseball Takes Series at Northern Illinois

Box Score

DeKALB, Ill. – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team got back on track with a 4-2 victory over Northern Illinois Sunday afternoon here at Ralph McKinzie Field to take the weekend series from the Huskies two games to one.

EMU (18-17, 14-2) got the upper hand of a pitcher’s duel and took advantage of Northern Illinois’ (22-18, 10-8 MAC) miscues to earn the victory. Sophomore Sean Hoffman (5-0) out dueled NIU pitcher Mark Badgley going 7.2 innings allowing only one run on three scattered hits with five strikeouts to remain undefeated on the season. Badgley had a solid outing tallying a career-high 10 strikeouts while allowing four runs (three unearned) in 7.1 innings of work.

Eastern was led by junior Jeff Hehr who went 2-for-4 at the plate with a RBI and run scored. However, senior Patrick Dean delivered the most important hit of the game for the Eagles in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, junior Jeff Davis singled to left field. Hehr popped up in foul territory but the NIU catcher dropped the ball giving him new life. Hehr then notched a single to put men on first and second base. Derek Lehrman followed and struck out which should have got the Huskies out of the inning. Dean then made NIU pay by belting a three-run home run to give EMU a crucial 3-0 lead.

Hehr gave EMU some breathing room with a RBI triple in the top of the eighth inning to plate Steve Bradshaw for a 4-0 lead. NIU got its first run of the game in the bottom of the inning on a throwing error by the catcher to pull with in 4-1.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Northern Illinois got another run off a RBI single making the score 4-2 but, EMU closer Matt Shoemaker got the final batter to pop up to the shortstop for his eighth save of the season.

EMU will host Olivet in non-conference action at Oestrike Stadium Tuesday, May 1 at 5 p.m.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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