CARBONDALE, Ill. – Northern Illinois rallied for seven runs in the seventh inning, including six with two outs, to upend the Illinois baseball team, 9-3, Saturday at Itchy Jones Stadium.
Illinois (7-8) took a 3-1 lead to the bottom of the seventh, before NIU broke the game open. Matthew James homered in the fifth inning and Dan Rowbottom had two hits to lead the Illini.
Starting pitcher Cole Bellair pushed his scoreless inning streak to 17.0 before NIU opened the scoring in the fourth with a two-out RBI single. Bellair worked 6.1 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits for a no decision and took his season ERA to a team-best 0.46.
Northern Illinois (4-15) sent 12 batters to the plate in the seventh. There were six hits, two walks and one batter reached on an error against Bellair and relievers Jack Yalowitz and Charlie Naso. Yalowitz (0-1) took the loss, as the only batter he faced produced a swinging bunt single and came around to score the go-ahead run. The big blow was a three-run triple by Tony Brandner on a full count with two outs off of Naso.
Only two of Northern Illinois' nine runs were earned.
Donovin Sims (1-2) picked up the win for the Huskies. He worked 7.0 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits.
Illinois takes on Southern Illinois at 4:05 p.m. The Illini will send lefty Doug Hayes (2-2, 4.09) to face SIU right-hander Chad Whitmer (1-0, 2.52).
