The University of Minnesota Duluth took 3-of-4 to claim an opening series victory over Northwood (Mich.) University on Friday evening and Saturday morning at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
UMD (3-1) won a pitcher's duel to start Friday's doubleheader, 2-1, in a combined one-hitter by the Bulldog pitching staff. The offense took control in game two, taking a back-and-forth affair that extended late into the evening in Auburndale, Florida as UMD claimed a 12-11 victory in the 11th inning. The same two teams met Saturday morning in Winter Haven, Florida, where Northwood (6-8) took game one 7-5 and the Bulldogs rebounded with scores in the first three innings of game two to win 7-3.
COVERING THE BASES• Sophomore lefthander
Kevin Stocke got the season started for UMD on the mound, tossing 4.1 innings, leaving a runner on the basepath who eventually came around to score the only mark against Stocke or the rest of the UMD pitching staff. He allowed the game's only hit and struck out three before being relieved. Senior righthander Wes Mleziva (2) picked up the save in the opening game with a pair of hitless innings, striking out one and walking a batter. He would complete game four of the series with a strikeout for his second save of the weekend, relieving freshman righthander
Nick Dorfman, who went 6.2 innings, allowing just a pair of earned runs, both via home runs, as the Bulldogs breezed to a series victory.
• Sophomore outfielder
Grant Farley became a do-everything man for UMD, tossing three innings of six-strikeout, one-hit ball to hold the Bulldogs in striking distance as they tied the game on junior third baseman
Kyle Comer's two-run single in the ninth inning and then walked off on a bases loaded single by junior second baseman
Jimmy Heck. Comer batted .615/.722/.692, driving in six runs and scoring three in the series, but Farley truly punished the Timberwolves' pitching, hitting .571/.625/1.286 with two homers, two doubles, and a triple, six RBIs, and four runs scored.
Game one of the series saw the bottom of the order turn over allowing junior outfielder
Josh Denisen to rip a two-run single up the middle, scoring senior catcher
Beau Goff and junior outfielder
Kyle Singer to put UMD ahead for good, as the Bulldog pitching staff bent in the bottom of the inning, but did not break, allowing a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to score the game's only run for Northwood. UMD handed Kevin Lewandowski just his first loss of the season as he went all seven innings, allowing nine hits and striking out a pair.
The Timberwolves struck first in game two off junior right-hander
Austin Vaske in the first inning, but Farley answered with his first homer of the season. Northwood jumped out in front again twice but saw UMD scrape back into the game, first from a two-run deficit and then a five-run hole as the Bulldogs scored multiple runs in the sixth, eighth, and ninth innings to erase that, and then one more time after giving up a run in the top of the 11th to claim victory.
Northwood jumped out early on left-handed ace
Bo Hellquist in game three, striking for five runs in the first inning before Hellquist settled down to throw five complete, striking out seven. Fielding errors cost UMD in games three and four, with an unearned run proving the difference as the Timberwolves scored two off sidewinding freshman reliever
Justin Kunkel to keep the Bulldogs from a sweep. UMD would commit a pair of errors in game two of the Saturday doubleheader, but boasted enough offense, scoring at least one run in the first four innings as they cruised to hand Dorfman his first collegiate victory, knocking around Northwood starter Sean Cunningham for five runs in three innings, and a pair off longman Larry Wood to close the game.
UP NEXTThe Bulldogs continue at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational on Monday after a planned rest day Sunday. UMD takes on regional rival Wayne State (Mich.) University in a doubleheader. Opening pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, Florida.
