BOX SCORE GAME 1
BOX SCORE GAME 2


MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -  The Northern State University baseball team won their first game of the season Sunday over the University of Minnesota, Crookston 7-5.  The Golden Eagles, however, took the second game 4-1 to limit the Wolves to a 1-1 nonconference split at the H.H.H. Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn.

    Sophomore Michael Gardner picked up the win on the mound in his second start of the season by pitching five innings and struck out four. Gardner was relieved by Jared Dickie, who earned a save for pitching two scoreless innings to close out the victory. Dickie allowed only one hit in sealing the Wolves' first win of the season.
   
    The scoring started for the Wolves in the second inning, when junior Michael Cross hit a ground rule double over the left field fence to lead off the inning. Senior Nathan Zacher followed it up with an RBI single. With two out in the inning, the Wolves had Zacher as a runner at 3rd base and junior Brad Rintoul at 1st base. Rintoul stole second and the throw to 2nd base from the catcher allowed Zacher to steal home notching the Wolves' second run of the inning.

    After Crookston answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the 2nd inning, Nathan Zacher added a two-RBI single with two outs in the 3rd to give the Wolves a 4-2 lead. Crookston would take the lead at 5-4 in the bottom of the 4th, but the Wolves would answer in the 5th.
   
    Sophomore Adam Brion singled to center to lead off the 5th inning. Payton McCleary advanced him to 2nd base with a bunt. James Paul walked, which set up a two-RBI double by junior Lucas Jung. The Wolves would not give up the lead again, and added another run in the 7th inning for a 7-5 victory.

    Game two was a struggle for the Wolves at the plate, as the Crookston starting pitcher went the distance and allowed only one run for the complete game victory. The Wolves dropped the contest by a score of 4-1.

    Lucas Jung went 2-4 in the game, with a double. Nathan Zacher and sophomore Kelly Coates also doubled for the Wolves in the losing effort.  The Wolves next contest will be in Mesa, Arizona on March 6th against Dakota State.

    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**