"It's always nice to win the last one," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "It's been a tough year all around for this group. We battled the complexities of COVID and the highs and lows that came with it. This group fought and battled the whole way, and we showed that in the last game. I want to thank all our seniors for what they gave to our program."
NIU (16-38, 15-25 MAC) took a 1-0 lead to start the season finale. Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) led off the game with a single and stole second base. Brendan Joyce (South Elgin, Ill./Parkland College) then singled to right field, getting to second on a throw from Andy Gaytan. Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) drove in Erato on a sacrifice fly to give NIU a 1-0 lead. The Falcons tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning on a Kyle Gurney RBI double.
Brady Huebbe (Peru, Ill./Illinois Valley C.C.) broke the tie in the top of the second with a solo home run over the left field fence, giving the Huskies a 2-1 lead. Langreder kept NIU in front early, allowing just two hits from the second to the fifth innings. Ryan Johnston led off the Bowling Green half of the sixth inning with a single, but the Huskies' freshman left-hander struck out the side to keep NIU ahead 2-1 and tie his career high in strikeouts with seven.
Langreder notched his eighth strikeout with one out in the seventh as part of a 1-2-3 inning. He added two more punchouts in the eighth as he retired the last nine batters he faced. Tristan Michaels (Barrington, Ill./Triton College) came in to close the game and recorded his first career save, allowing just a two-out single to Tyler Haas as the Huskies hung on to win the final game of the season 2-1.
"Connor was magnificent and gave us eight masterful innings," Kunigonis said. "We scratched a couple runs early and that was all he needed. Tristan did a great job to slam the door in the ninth."
Langreder's 10 strikeouts were a season-high and also marked the first time a Huskie had 10 strikeouts since Michael Lasiewicz (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) had 10 in a win at Southern Illinois on March 9, 2019. The freshman scattered five hits while walking just one Bowling Green batter.
NIU put a run on the board in the top of the first inning in game one. Erato led off the game with a double to left center. Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) then laced a single through the right side to bring Erato around to score and put the Huskies up 1-0. Bowling Green responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning, highlighted by a two-out, two-run single by Jack Krause that put the Falcons ahead 3-1.
Bowling Green (20-30, 18-22) extended its lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth on a Dylan Dohanos RBI double. NIU tied the game in the top of the sixth. With one out and runners at first and second, Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage) reached on an error that allowed Smith to score from second base and make the score 4-2. Falcons relief pitcher Nathan Lohmeier then came in and struck out Brady Huebbe for the second out. With Wade Rankin (Columbus, Ind./Kankakee CC) at the plate, Larson stole second base. Lohmeir then let loose a wild pitch that scored Dylan Lonteen (Peoria, Ill./Illinois Central College) from third to get the Huskies within a run, 4-3. Rankin drew a walk, with ball four getting past catcher Kyle Gurney which let Larson score and tie the game at four.
The Falcons broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth. Nathan Rose started the threat on a one-out single, then got to third on a Krause single. Andy Gaytan then reached on an error, which allowed Rose to score and put Bowling Green up 5-4 with Krause getting put out trying to get to third on the play. Closer Jeremy Spezia made that lead hold up, retiring the Huskies in order in the top of the seventh to lock up the win in the opener.
Smith was 2-for-3 in the opener with an RBI. Nate Thomas (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) threw six innings on the mound, with two of the five runs he allowed earned on eight hits with four strikeouts.
The Huskies finish the 2021 campaign with a 16-38 record, going 15-25 in the Mid-American Conference.
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NIU Splits Twinbill At Bowling Green To Wrap Up Season - Northern Illinois University Athletics
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