Minot, N.D. – While Northern State was in position in both games on Saturday afternoon at Corbett Field, the Wolves were unable to walk away with a win as they dropped games by scores of 5-4 and 18-8 to Minot State. Northern held a 4-3 lead late in game one and unfortunately left the bases loaded in a 1-run loss, and in game two NSU held a 6-run lead halfway through the contest but a pair of seven run innings for Minot proved too much to overcome.
 
THE QUICK DETAILS
Final Score Game 1: NSU 4, MINOT 5
Final Score Game 2: NSU 8, MINOT 18 (7 innings)
Records: NSU 10-19 (5-13 NSIC), MINOT 21-11 (12-8 NSIC)
Attendance: 222
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• While making his ninth start of the season on the mound Michael Chevalier (4-3) struck out the side in the bottom half of the first inning, however Minot State was able to strike first in the bottom of the second with a 2-run homer to left field
• The Beavers tacked on another run in the bottom of the third inning before Northern State was able to score their first run of the game in the top of the fourth inning off an RBI single to left field by Kai Brisk to score Jack Paulson and make it a 3-1 ball game
• Chevalier and the Northern defense kept the Beavers bats at bay in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings, sending Minot down in order each inning as the Wolves chipped away at the deficit and took the lead
• In the top of the fifth Jackson Meyer cut the deficit to one run as he scored off a Jordan DeMarce sacrifice fly to deep right field, and a 2-RBI double to left field by Meyer in the top of the sixth gave the Wolves a 4-3 advantage as Mateo Tahsini and Niko Pezonella were each able to cross home plate
• Minot State was able to regroup and retake the lead in the bottom of the sixth as runs off an RBI single and a wild pitch gave the Beavers a 5-4 lead
• NSU gave themselves an opportunity in the top of the seventh as they loaded the bases with only one out, however they saw the final two batters go down on strikes to end the game after a Minot pitching change
• Blake Ask (0-2) suffered the loss on the mound for the Wolves in his 11^th relief appearance of the season
• Northern State scored their four runs off 11 hits and did not commit an error defensively

NORTHERN STATE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS – GAME 1
Jackson Meyer: 3-for-3, 1 double, 2 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 stolen base
Jack Paulson: 2-for-4, 1 double, 1 run scored
Michael Chevalier: 5.0 innings pitched, 3 strikeouts
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• A pair of 2-run homeruns in the top of the first inning seized the early momentum for Northern State; Karson Hesser first sent a shot to right field that scored Austin Portner and three at-bats later Kai Brisk sent a long ball over the center field fence to score Reece Ragatz and make it a 4-0 NSU lead
• Minot State got one run back in the bottom half of the first inning after Derek Kay tripled and scored on a wild pitch, however Brian Baker regrouped and struck out two of the next three batters to end the inning
• The Wolves extended their early lead with a pair of runs in the top of the second as an RBI double to left field by Portner scored Jordan DeMarce and Portner would later cross home plate on a sacrifice fly by Jack Paulson to left field
• While Baker and the Northern defense held the Beavers scoreless in the second and third innings, NSU was able to tack on one more run in the top of the fourth inning with a solo homerun by Paulson to left field, pushing the lead to 7-1
• Minot captured all the momentum of the game in the bottom of the fourth as four homeruns powered a 7-run inning and gave the Beavers the 8-7 lead; a 3-run homerun in the bottom of the fifth inning pushed the Minot State lead to 11-7
• An RBI single to center field by Jackson Meyer that scored Paulson momentarily halted the momentum and a stretch of ten consecutive runs for Minot
• Another 7-run inning for the Beavers in the bottom of the seventh inning brought the game to a close
• Baker (1-3) suffered the loss on the mound for the Wolves in his fifth start of the season, pitching 3.2 innings and striking out four batters
• Northern State scored their eight runs off ten hits and committed one error defensively

NORTHERN STATE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS – GAME 2
Austin Portner: 2-for-3, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored
Karson Hesser: 2-for-4, 1 homerun, 2 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 stolen base
Jack Paulson: 1-for-2, 1 homerun, 1 walk, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored
Brian Baker: 3.2 innings pitched, 4 strikeouts
 
UP NEXT
Northern State looks to avoid the series sweep against Minot State tomorrow afternoon as the teams are slated for a 12 p.m. first pitch for game three back at Corbett Field in Minot.