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Box Score (PDF)

DEKALB, Ill. – The Ohio Baseball (8-19, 3-4 MAC) team dropped the series opener to Northern Illinois (8-21, 4-3 MAC), 7-6, on Friday evening at Ralph McKinzie Field.

Senior INF Rudy Rott (Holmen, Wis.) hit a three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to cut the NIU lead to 7-6, but Ohio was unable to tie the game. Rott ended the day 2-for-4 with a home run, single and three RBI.

Sophomore INF Treyben Funderburg (Beavercreek, Ohio) ended the day with two RBI and was 2-of-5 with two singles. Funderburg is not hitting .269 this season.

Ohio started the game up early with three runs in the first. The Bobcats scored all of their runs with two outs. Ohio loaded the bases with a sophomore INF Aaron Levy (Cincinnati, Ohio) single, a junior INF Trevor Hafner (Perrysburg, Ohio) single and redshirt sophomore INF Michael Richardson (Cambridge, Md.) walk. Funderburg knocked home two RBI with a single to left field. Redshirt freshman INF Cole Revels (Charlotte, N.C.) followed Funderburg with a single to right to score Richardson.

Levy scored two runs during the game and was 1-for-4 with a single and a walk. Hafner reached base twice, going 2-for-5 with one run scored. Revels also reached base twice and brought home one RBI.

NIU fought back in the bottom half of the inning and scored four runs on a two-RBI double from Jake Dunham and two-run home run from Kam Smith.

The Huskies added one on a Nick Drobushevich single to left field to go up 5-3 in the third inning.

NIU made it 7-3 in the bottom of the eighth on a Dylan Lonteen single that scored two.

Rott crushed a three-run home run in the top of the ninth over the right field fence. Lukkes started the inning by reaching on an error and Levy walked to put runners on first and second for Rott.

Senior RHP Kenny Ogg (Indianapolis, Ind.) fell to 1-6 after being given the loss. Ogg tossed 4.0 innings and struck out one batter while allowing five earned runs.

Redshirt senior Nick Kamrada (Grand Ledge, Mich.) tossed 1.2 innings and allowed the minimum five batters while striking out one batter. Kamrada tossed just 12 pitches to get five outs with nine of them being strikes.

Junior LHP Nick Byrnes (Cincinnati, Ohio) fanned one the two batters he faced in 0.2 innings.

Sophomore RHP Chace Harris (New Marshfield, Ohio) pitched 1.0 inning and allowed two earned runs while fanning two batters.

Redshirt junior LHP Tony Iero (North Canton, Ohio) faced two batters in 0.2 innings and sturck out one batter.

The Bobcats will continue the series against NIU tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET. 

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