Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

ABERDEEN, S.D. - The Northern State baseball squad split a pair of non-conference games with Concordia-St. Paul in the Metrodome to open the 2013 slate, falling 5-4 in a back-and-forth affair in the opener and bouncing back for a 3-1 victory in the second game of the doubleheader.

The games marked the first of the season for both squads, now 1-1 on the year.

NSU had rallied from a 3-0 deficit in Game 1 to take a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh inning.  Nate Russell and Brent Lawrence led off the inning with back-to-back singles off reliever Colton Petron.  Robbie Rocamora moved everyone up two bases with a one-out double, putting the go-ahead run on second.

Cameron Lehner then lace a fly ball to right field that popped in and out of the glove of Paul Geil, allowing both Lawrence and Rocamora to score.

In their half of the inning, the Golden Bears took advantage of a one-out error to get their first baserunner.  Geil, who committed the error to allow the Wolves to take the lead, then tied the game with a single down the line.  A walk issued by reliever Adam Thompson put the go-ahead run in scoring position, and the Golden Bears capitalized again, as Greg Larpenter plated the winning run with a single to right.

Thompson took the loss for NSU, while Petron picked up the one-inning win for the Golden Bears.  Lawrence, Rocamora and Russell each had two hits apiece for the Wolves at the plate.

NSU turned the tables in Game 2, taking an early 3-0 lead and riding it out for the win despite getting just three hits in the game.  Derek Tymesen doubled home Maurice Rodriguez and Buddy Traxler in the bottom of the third to put the Wolves up 2-0.  Clayton Nutting tacked on a third run after drawing a hit-by-pitch to get on base and rounding the bases on a wild failed pick-off attempt.

Concordia got one run back in the top of the sixth off reliever Andrew Crisman, but senior Clint Manzo came on to pick up the final out of the inning and worked a one-hit top of the seventh to pick up his first save of the season.  Sean Winslow worked five innings of four-hit scoreless baseball to earn his first win of the year.

Tymesen, Traxler and Robert Fahlin each had a hit apiece for the Wolves, who were out-hit 7-3 in the afternoon game.