The University of Minnesota Duluth scored at least a run in 12 of the 15 innings it went to bat against Southwest Minnesota State University, but the Bulldogs would settle for a doubleheader split in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action on Wednesday afternoon at Wade Stadium in Duluth.
UMD (14-10, 8-6 NSIC) scored 22 runs in the seven-inning shutout taking to task five pitchers for Southwest Minnesota State (13-15, 6-6 NSIC). Early errors cost the Bulldogs in game two, as they scored a run in four of the last five innings to scratch back before eventually falling, 6-5
COVERING THE BASES• Junior left-hander
Spencer Diedrich went six strong innings, picking up his first victory of the season while scattering three hits and striking out 10 Mustangs in game one, with junior righty
Matt Schreder coming in to close the door in the final inning. Freshman right-hander
Alex Ferguson took the loss in game two, pitching into the fifth inning, striking out six and allowing three earned run, six overall. Another lefty, freshman
Marcus Frederickson came in for the final 4.1 innings, striking out seven without allowing a baserunner.
• Junior third baseman
Kyle Comer continued his power streak, launching a three-run home run in the first inning of the day and finishing 4-of-7 on the day with a double, five runs batted in, and three runs scored, while also reaching on three walks and a hit by pitch. Junior first baseman
Alex Wojciechowski reached base seven times, driving in five runs and scoring four with a double on four hits. Sophomore left fielder
Grant Farley had three extra-base hits (two doubles, one triple) and four runs batted in on the day.
UMD plated at least a run in every inning of game one, scoring one, two, three, four, five, and seven runs in the six innings it came to bat. One the day, the Bulldogs had nine extra-base hits, including home runs by Comer and junior
Bo Hellquist, who pulled UMD within one in the ninth inning of game two. The Bulldogs surrendered a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first inning of game two, and three more thanks in large part to a trio of walks in the third inning. UMD would make its comeback, taking advantage of three free passes of their own in the fifth, Farley's double in the sixth - after being called back to the box after a lengthy debate of a hit-by-pitch or foul ball - and a double by Comer in the seventh, before Hellquist would get them as close as they'd get in the ninth.
UP NEXTUMD returns to campus Saturday, when the Bulldogs play host to Winona State University at Bulldog Park. The same two teams will then meet at Wade Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Opening pitch of the series is set for 1:30 p.m.
Â
