Conference series victories are always a good thing, but victories over the first-place team take on a new meaning.

The NIU baseball team (19-21 overall, 11-7 MAC) swept a doubleheader Saturday to earn the series victory over Eastern Michigan (15-26, 11-4) after the dropping the first game Friday afternoon.

It is the third time this year the Huskies have swept a doubleheader in the MAC.

Friday

NIU let one slip away Friday afternoon with a 4-3 loss. The Huskies led 3-1 in the fifth inning before the Eagles rallied for three runs in the final four frames.

The Huskies got on the board in the first inning with designated hitter Justin Behm’s RBI infield single, which scored third baseman Jordin Hood.

After NIU scored two more runs in the fifth, the Eagles answered back with two of their own in the top of the sixth to tie the game at three. EMU then scored an unearned run in the eighth that proved to be the game-winner.

Huskies’ starter Trevor Feeney pitched a complete game in the loss, allowing 12 hits with three strikeouts. The senior is now 3-4 on the year with a 4.30 ERA.

Saturday – Game 1

NIU left fielder Jeff Thomas’ two-out, game-winning single in the ninth lifted the Huskies to a 5-4 victory over the Eagles on Saturday afternoon.

“Yesterday, these guys came out and played good baseball on us,” NIU coach Ed Mathey said. “I think our kids responded pretty well.”

Down one run, NIU right fielder Danny Reed led off the ninth with a single to left. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Reed scored on catcher Matt Behren’s double to left center. EMU recorded two outs, and that set the stage for Thomas.

With Behren on third, Thomas stroked a single to right field that scored the game-winning run.

“That was exciting,” Mathey said. “Thomas got the hit and Behren did a nice job driving the ball, and that was left-on-left, so we had a pretty good situation there.”

Saturday – Game 2

NIU stole a season-high five bases and cranked out two home runs in a 7-4 victory over EMU in the second game Saturday.

Huskie starter Adam Holdenrid picked up his fourth victory of the year after pitching six innings, allowing four runs and recording four strikeouts.

NIU second baseman Tim Kamin belted his first home run of the season in the fourth inning. Hood then responded later in the inning with his fifth round-tripper of the year.

“Winning the series against [EMU] is great,” Thomas said. “That’s a great team we played. It’s just good getting two wins in the West, but we’ll see them in the tournament.”

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