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MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – Two close games went the way of the Beavers Monday, as the Northern State University baseball squad lost 4-2 and 4-3 to Bemidji State University at the H.H.H. Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn.
The Wolves also lost a game that was halted Sunday due to time constraints by a 17-4 margin that was played before the doubleheader.
The loss drops the Wolves record on the young 2010 season to 0-4, and although Bemidji State is a conference opponent, the games were played as non-conference contests.
In the second game of Sunday's doubleheader that was finished on Monday, the Wolves fell behind early 3-0 after the first inning, and 7-2 after the second. The Beavers pounded out 20 hits compared to just nine by Northern State in earning the 17-4 victory.
Travis Owen led the Wolves with a 2-4 game at the plate including a double, an RBI, and scored two runs.
Blaze Hansen went 1-2 with two walks, an RBI, and a run scored.
Trent Bestland took the loss on the hill after surrendering seven runs (all earned) on six hits in three innings. He also struck out three Beaver batters.
The games that started and finished on Monday carried a different tune. In the first game, the Wolves grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning behind consecutive singles by Adam Brion and Payton McCleary. The two were brought home on a two-out double to center by Lucas Jung.
The Beavers got one run in the bottom of the inning and another in the bottom of the fourth to tie things up, and then took the lead with a two-run bottom of the sixth.
The Wolves got something going in the top of the seventh behind consecutive one-out singles by Jung and right fielder Michael Cross, but the next Northern State batter grounded into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.
Jung led the Wolves at the plate in that game, going 3-3 with a two-RBI double, accounting for half of Northern State's hits.
Charlie Dunnick went a strong 5-2/3 innings, allowing four runs (all earned) on seven hits. He was doomed by six walks and two wild pitches in an otherwise strong effort on the mound.
As good of a game as the previous one was, the next was even better.
The Wolves fell behind 2-0 through the first three innings, but grabbed one run in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead in half. Michael Cross earned an opening walk and was moved around to third on the next at bat on a double to right by Ronnie Sellers. He came home on an RBI fielders choice by Brad Rintoul.
Bemidji snagged another run in the top of the fifth inning, but Northern State countered right back in their half of the fifth to tie things up at 3-3. Cross, the catalyst for the Wolves all weekend, opened up the inning with a triple to center and came home on the next play on a groundout to first. Nathan Zacher then hit a single to left field and was moved to third on a single by Rintoul. A pinch-hit single by Owen brought Zacher around to the plate to tie things up.
After no scoring in the seventh, Bemidji State then took the lead back in the top of the eighth to stake a 4-3 lead and a 1-2-3 inning by the Wolves in the bottom half of the inning closed out the game.
Leading the Wolves at the plate was Cross, who finished with a 1-3 game including a triple and two runs scored.
Nathan Zacher also went 2-4 with a run scored in the loss.
Lucas Jung pitched all eight inning for the Wolves, allowing four earned run on ten hits. He also struck out one batter and walked on to absorb his first loss of the season.
The Wolves are back on the diamond on Sunday when they head back to the dome to face the University of Minnesota, Crookston in a non-conference doubleheader.
Northern State University is an NCAA Division II affiliated school participating in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and is located in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
**GO WOLVES**
