OXFORD, Ala. – Southeast Missouri Baseball (1-3) fell to Northern Illinois (2-2) in the first game of a three-game series on Friday evening by a final score of 16-4 from Choccolocco Park. 
 
Short stop Andrew Ramirez led the Redhawks offense at the plate as the only Redhawk with multiple hits in the contest. Ramirez, making his fourth-straight start, finished 3-for-4 at the plate. 
 
The Huskies scored 14-of-their-16 runs in the first three innings of the contest and added two more in the sixth to hand SEMO its second-straight loss. NIU edged SEMO in hits by a 13-9 margin.
 
SEMO would fight back in the final two innings of the contest scoring three runs in the eighth inning. A one out single by Bryce Cannon got the inning started for the Redhawks as he lined a single to center field. 
 
Making his first appearance in a SEMO uniform, infielder Jack Opoien pinch hit for Mikey Rocha as Opoien roped a double into the right centerfield gap to plate Cannon all the way from first for the Redhawks' first run of the ball game. 
 
Catcher Shea McGahan drove in Opoien as he traded places with him with another double, this one to left field that rattled off the wall and allowed Opoien to score easily. The Redhawks trailed 16-2 at that point in the ball game and still with just one out. 
 
Outfielder Demitri Shakotko continued the scoring trend with an opposite field single to drive in McGahan from second base for the third run of the inning. SEMO would eventually load the bases via an Andrew Ramirez single and a Brooks Kettering walk but couldn't muster any more runs. 
 
Opoien came to the plate again in the ninth and was hit-by-a-pitch before taking second and third base on a defensive indifference. A wild pitch from NIU's Austin Graber allowed Opoien to come into score his second run of the game. 
 
NIU would hold on for the 16-4 victory in the opening game of the series. 
 
RHP Sam Heyman (1-1) made the start in the series opener but lasted just 2.0 innings, surrendering six runs (5 ER) on six hits. He recorded three strikeouts over 14 hitters. 
 
LHP's Ethan Osborne and Cade Perkins, and RHP Kayden Kohlberg combined to shutout the Huskies over the final 3.2 innings. For all three of them, the appearances marked the first outing of the season.  
 
Looking Ahead
SEMO Baseball will play game two of the series with NIU tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. from Oxford, Ala.