GAME ONE BOX
GAME TWO BOX
MESA, Ariz. – The Northern State University baseball team combined for 14 runs in their two games against Dakota State Thursday, and ended with a split after losing the first game 13-6 and winning the second 8-4 at the RussMatt Greater Phoenix Invite in Mesa, Ariz.
The split brings the Wolves record to 2-9 on the season.
The first game was a battle through the first seven innings before Dakota State erupted for seven runs in the top of the ninth inning to take the lead, and the win.
The Wolves countered every score the Trojans put up in the top of the inning, matching their two in the third with two of their own. A two-RBI single by Ronnie Sellers knocked in James Paul and Lucas Jung who had gotten on base with two consecutive singles of their own.
The Wolves added another run in the fourth after the Trojans put up three in the top of the inning on an RBI single by Payton McCleary that had brought in Dillon Talley after he tripled to right center.
Dakota State put up another run in the top of the fifth to go up 6-3 but the Wolves put three across the board in their half of the inning to tie the game up at 6-6. An RBI single by Brad Rintoul brought in Michael Cross who had been on base after a single of his own. Talley, the next batter, brought in Ronnie Sellers with an RBI single after Sellers had gotten on base with a single. McCleary then brought in Rintoul with a single to center to tie the game up.
Neither team would score through the next three innings before Dakota State erupted for a seven-run inning to put the game away.
Ronnie Sellers led the Wolves at the plate with a 3-4 effort that included two RBI and a run scored.
Dillon Talley finished 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
Blaze Hansen earned a no decision after allowing five earned runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings of work. Thane Lees took the loss after giving up seven earned runs on five hits in 3.2 innings.
The second game saw Northern earn their second win of the season with a brilliant pitching performance by Trent Bestland. The sophomore allowed just three earned runs on six hits in earning the complete game victory.
The Wolves bats got going for eight runs, including seven in the last two innings. Bestland stymied the Trojan bats for just one run after giving up two in the first inning.
Lucas Jung finished 2-4 with a triple, two RBI, and two runs scored to improve his season average to .441 through 11 games.
Nathan Zacher went 3-4 with two RBI in the second game.
The Wolves will be back at it tomorrow when they face off against Minot State in another doubleheader in sunny Mesa, Ariz.
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**
