Bismarck, N.D. – In their final mid-week doubleheader of the season, the Northern State University baseball team swept University of Mary. The Wolves took game one, 3-2, and came back for a 10-2 victory in game two. NSU improves to 25-20 overall and 18-14 in NSIC play.
Game One Zach Steckler held the Wolves off balance in game one, as they tallied four hits off the Mary starter.
Alex Cornwell led off the second with a double down the left field line.
Riley Shintaffer scored Cornwell on a single up the middle. Shintaffer was 2-2 in the game with a run scored and a walk.
The Marauders tied it all up in the third and came back to take the lead in the sixth, heading into the final inning of play. Shintaffer led off the seventh with a walk, to begin the NSU comeback. Two quick strikeouts and the Wolves were left to their final out.
Eric O'Bryan walked to leave the bases with two on for
Tyler Gripentrog. Gripentrog singled to left and advanced to second on a throwing error, while Shintaffer scored on the play. O'Bryan scored the final run of the inning to take the lead for the Wolves, as
Robert Fahlin was hit by a pitch.
Colton Boucher earned his sixth win of the season throwing 6.1 innings for the Wolves. Boucher gave up two earned runs on four hits, while striking out six.
Marcus Manderbach picked up his third save of the year throwing to four batters in the seventh.
Game Two The NSU bats came alive in game two with 15 team hits in nine innings of play.
Eric O'Bryan and
Tyler Gripentrog led off the first with back-to-back walks.
Lucas Lorenz made it hurt with a blast to deep left field for his 11
th homerun of the season. Lorenz went 2-for-5 in the game with three runs batted in.
Gripentrog led the team with three hits, two runs scored and an RBI. Along with Lorenz,
Alex Cornwell,
Jack Schmidt,
Robert Fahlin,
Riley Shintaffer, and
Clayton Nutting recorded two hits games. The Wolves scored in five of the nine innings of play with three runs in both the first and sixth innings.
Cody Johns picked up his sixth win of the season, giving up ten hits and one earned run. Johns struck out five in 6.2 innings of work.
Phil Sauer and
James Georgakas entered in relief for the Wolves throwing a combined 2.1 scoreless innings. Sauer tallied three strikeouts, while Georgakas notched two.
Northern will return home for the final games of the NSIC regular season versus St. Cloud State. The series will begin Friday at 1 p.m. from Fossum Field, and wrap up with a doubleheader beginning at noon on Saturday.
