Palm Beach, Fla. (March 17, 2007)- Northern Illinois used two big innings to its advantage, including an eight-run seventh inning rally, to defeat Manhattan 14-10 at the Palm Beach Challenge.
Trailing 9-6 in the seventh, NIU had four consecutive singles before Matt Behren walked to force in a run and Daniel Jewett delivered a RBI single. Two batters later, Jesse Seykora belted a grand slam home run, his sixth round-tripper of the year, to put the Huskies ahead 14-9.
Seykora, who extended his hit streak to a team-best 11 games, went 2-3 in the game with four RBI and three runs scored. Scott Simon went 3-for-5 and added a pair of RBI while Jewett drove in two on two hits and Jordin Hood totaled two hits and two runs scored.
Dave Nykiel's hitless inning of relief earned him his first win of the season. Matt German closed the game by working the final two innings.
NIU scored six runs in the second inning taking advantage of walks and RBI singles by Hood, Jewett and Pat Minogue before Simon's single scored two more.
Starting pitcher Matt Jernstad went five innings, allowing five earned runs and striking out four.