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FINAL: Northern Illinois (6-17, 2-1 MAC) 3, Ohio (10-13, 1-2 MAC) 1 -- Athens, Ohio (Bob Wren Stadium)

OHIO STARTERS: Manny De Jesus (CF), Ty Black (2B), Mitch Longo (LF), John Adryan (3B), Cody Gaertner (C), Rudy Rott (1B), Spencer Ibarra (RF), Michael Klein (DH), Tyler Finkler, Connor Sitz (P) 

NORTHERN ILLINOIS STARTERS: Justin Fletcher (CF), Brad Wood (2B), Brian Sisler (SS), Brandon Mallder (LF), Tony Brandner (DH), Stephen Letz (RF), Tommy Hook (1B), Luke Yapp (3B), Johnny Zubek (C), Donovin Woods (P)

THE BASICS.
Redshirt senior catcher Cody Gaertner (Pittsburgh, Pa.) extended his hitting streak to a program-record 20-straight games, but the Ohio baseball team (10-13, 1-2 MAC) couldn’t muster enough offense as West Division Northern Illinois (6-17, 2-1 MAC) took the rubber match of the 2016 Mid-American Conference opening series with a 3-1 win on Sunday (March 27) at Bob Wren Stadium in Athens, Ohio.

The Huskies won the first game of the series on Friday (March 25) by a 2-0 margin despite a complete game from senior right-handed starting pitcher Jake Miller (Westerville, Ohio). Ohio took the second game of the series on Saturday (March 26) 4-2, propelled by two home runs by senior third baseman John Adryan (Delran, N.J.) and seven strong innings on the mound from junior right-handed starting pitcher Jake Rudnicki (Toledo, Ohio).

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Senior right-handed starting pitcher Connor Sitz (Westerville, Ohio) threw 5.2 innings and allowed one earned run on five hits and four walks. He struck out three. Sitz took the loss on the mound for Ohio, dropping to 2-2 on the season.
• Junior right-hander Tom Colletti (Wheaton, Ill.) pitched 3.1 innings of relief with two runs allowed -- one earned -- on three hits. He fanned two.
• Gaertner went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI.
• Junior second baseman Ty Black (Waynesville, Ohio) walked and scored a run.
• Northern Illinois sophomore right-handed starting pitcher Donovin Sims picked up the win on the mound pitching 7.1 innings and permitting one earned run on four hits and two walks. He tallied five strikeouts en route to improving to 2-2 on the season.
• Junior righty Ryne Blanton notched his third save of the year, pitching 1.2 scoreless innings with two hits and two strikeouts.
• Senior right fielder Stephen Letz went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.
• Northern Illinois opened the scoring in the top of the sixth with a two-out double by junior left fielder Josh Gasser to left center that scored Letz, who reached on a single to right center, giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead.
• The Huskies added another in the top of the eighth as senior shortstop Brian Sisler hit a leadoff single to left center, advanced to third on a base hit to right by redshirt junior first baseman Brandon Mallder and then scored from third on a passed ball one out later.  Letz then singled home Mallder with a base hit back up the middle.
• Ohio scored its lone run in the bottom half of the eighth. Black reached by way of a one out walk, then advanced to second on an infield single by senior third baseman John Adryan (Delran, N.J.) and scored on another double by Gaertner.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
• Gaertner extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a one-out double to right in the bottom of the fourth, giving him the longest hitting streak in Ohio baseball history. Sunday marked his seventh multi-hit game of the season.

QUOTABLE
Redshirt senior catcher Cody Gaertner on his record-breaking 20-game hitting streak
"I think it’s a pretty cool honor. I put in a lot of hard work so it’s good to see it’s paid off."

UP NEXT
Ohio hosts in-state rival Ohio State to complete its five-game homestand on Tuesday (March 29) with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. ET. The Bobcats dropped a 7-4 decision in 10 innings to the Buckeyes in Columbus on March 31, 2015. Ohio last played host to Ohio State in 1993 -- a 3-1 win for the Buckeyes. Ohio State is coming off of a 2-1 weekend series win over Northwestern in Columbus. The Buckeyes dropped the series opener on Friday, 6-5, but bounced with back with a 5-2 victory on Saturday and a 5-4 triumph in the Sunday finale.

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