Two runs in the first inning. Two hitters with two hits apiece in the sixth inning. Two hitters with two RBI in separate at-bats each in the same inning. Two runs allowed. Two consecutive wins. Two hundredth win. The crazy twos were the composition of the Northern Illinois baseball team’s impressive performance of scoring a season-high 10 runs in the sixth inning and getting a dominant one-hit effort from starter Jake Hermsen en route to a 13-2 win over Iowa Wednesday.
The victory marks eighth-year head coach Ed Mathey’s 200th (200-225-1) as a Huskie and second in as many nights. Coupled with a 5-4 decision over the Big Ten Conference’s Hawkeyes (14-20) March 26th, 2008, the win also marks the second in a row for the Huskies (14-22) at Duane Banks Field.
“Again, it’s nice recognition,” said Mathey, who also achieved his 400th (405-396-3) win of his 16-year career this season in a 6-1 triumph over Buffalo April 2nd. “I’m more concerned with what we have coming up this weekend with Toledo. There will be a time to reflect on what it means to get 200 wins here, but we have to focus on the task at hand.
“Any win on the road is good, especially against a Big Ten team.”
On a pleasant partly cloudy evening, Hermsen stole the show away from the Huskie bats. The southpaw gave up a leadoff triple to left-center field to Kurtis Muller in the first inning, and that was it. Muller would end up scoring on a Zach McCool groundout to second baseman Marvin Sanchez, but Hermsen retired 20 of 21 batters after Muller’s hit, 21 of 23 total. After a second-inning two-out walk to Andrew Ewing, Hermsen put down the final 17 Hawkeyes in a row. In getting his first win (1-1) of the season, he ended with a line of one run on one hit and one walk with a career-best 10 strikeouts in a career-long seven innings. Of his 10 strikeouts, three came in the second inning and five were of the looking variety.
“It was a pretty impressive performance,” said Mathey of his sophomore hurler. “It’s good to see from Jake and something I hope that he realizes he’s capable of. I hope he continues to build on it. He can do things like this. He was out in front of a lot of hitters.
“The best thing was that he didn’t want to come out when I took him out. I told him we needed him for this weekend and that I hope he remembers what this felt like.”
The key to victory for the NIU offense, which tied a season-high 13-run output, was the nine-hit, 10-run sixth. The frame was highlighted by four Huskies: Alex Beckmann, Alex Jones, Brian Smith, and Jamison Wells. Beckmann and Wells each had two hits, while Wells and Smith each had two RBI. Wells also had a stolen base to boot, while Alex Jones had a two-run double. The 10-run stanza was last done by NIU in the third inning at Western Michigan in a 21-9 win May 14th, 2009, which was also the last time two Huskies had a pair of hits in an inning (Jordin Hood and Jones).
“It was really enjoyable to watch our hitters perform in the sixth,” Mathey said. “We were hitting line drives and gap shots. We had good execution of basic hitting principles. Our guys realize that they can do it. They kept going up there and having good at-bats. They all wanted good at-bats and didn’t want to give any away. It was really nice to see.”
Iowa starter Zach Robertson (2-3) was handed the loss after allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits and one walk with four strikeouts in two innings.
Beckmann led the way for the NIU bats, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI, and two runs. Jones also racked up three hits, two of which were doubles, two RBI, and a run scored. Wells drove in a team-high three runs on two singles, and scored a run. Dave Reynolds had a pair of hits and a run, while Marvin Sanchez also had two hits, scored two runs, and drove one in. Additionally, Smith drove in two, scored two, and picked up a hit.
The Huskies return to action this weekend as they travel to Toledo, Ohio for a three-game weekend Mid-American Conference series against the Toledo Rockets. Games will be at 2 p.m. CST Friday, noon Saturday, and noon Sunday as well.
