Tucson, Ariz. – The Northern State University baseball team dropped a seven inning affair to the University of Dubuque 12-2, today from Tucson. The Wolves slide to 6-5 overall after the loss and will play their final spring training game tomorrow versus Minot State.
 
The Spartans scored first with a pairs in the third and fourth, however Northern fought back in the top of the fifth. Preston Brown entered as a pinch hitter for NSU with one out in the inning. Brown walked setting the stage for Northern's eight and nine hitters. Braden Goldade doubled to right, followed by a Patrick Leary sacrifice fly to center to score Brown and cut into the UD lead.
 
Dubuque however quickly answered back with eight runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Northern offense struggled to get things going tallying only six hits and two runs scored in the loss. Goldade led the team with two hits, while Leary tallied the only NSU RBI. Mikey Barreneche, Jack Schmidt, Lucas Lorenz, and Ben Allen combined for the team's final four hits in the game. Lorenz also added a run scored and a triple in the top of the seventh.
 
Phil Sauer started the Wolves giving up two earned runs on five hits in four innings of work. Sauer led the team with three strikeouts and 18 batters faced. Andrew Nichols entered in relief giving up four earned runs on four hits in one inning pitched. Kris Johnson closed out the game for the Wolves throwing 1.1 innings while giving up five earned runs on five hits, with one strikeout.
 
Northern will play their final game from Tucson tomorrow versus Minot State in a non-conference match-up. The game is scheduled for 9 a.m. (MT) from the Kino Sports Complex.