The University of Minnesota Duluth hit 10 home runs, including four off the bat of senior first baseman Alex Wojciechowski (26), as the Bulldogs rolled to its tenth-straight victory, sweeping both ends of a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader against Bemidji State University with 10-4 and 14-5 wins at the BSU Baseball Field on Friday evening.

UMD (25-9, 18-4 NSIC) made it ten-straight victories, getting a pair of home runs from Wojciechowski and three RBIs each from "Wojo," freshman outfielder Cory Krolikowski, and freshman designated hitter Tyler Wojciechowski as the Bulldogs rolled to a 10-4 victory over Bemidji State (11-29, 8-16) in game one.

Senior left-handed pitcher Bo Hellquist (6-1) scattered seven hits and three walks, striking out just three while allowing three runs over 5.0 innings of work in the opener. A. Wojciechowski got his day started, lifting a single in the first inning with a pair of runners on that brough home Krolikowski. As the first six batters of the game reached base, T. Wojciechowski added on to his brother's damage as he cleared the bases with a three-run double, giving UMD a 4-0 lead after one.

Krolikowski lifted his second collegiate home run with one out in the second inning, and A. Wojciechowski knocked out his first of the day just two batters later. "Krolo" added RBIs on a single in the third inning and a sacrifice fly in the fifth, while Wojciechowski added his second home run leading off the fourth The Bulldogs scored in each of the first six innings against Beavers starter Terry Hadden (0-6), who worked 5.2 innings, allowing 11 hits and 10 runs (nine earned), while striking out just a pair.

Senior second baseman Jimmy Heck, who on Thursday was named the NCAA II Central Region Player of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Assocation (NCBWA), added an RBI single in the sixth. Junior outfielder Matt Vogt finished 2-for-3 in a start in left field. Seven of nine starters had at least a hit for the Bulldogs. On the mound, junior right-hander Colton Sinning tossed a clean sixth inning, while freshman Jeremy Thorson struck out two while allowing an unearned run in the seventh.

UMD 20, Bemidji State 8
Senior right-handed pitcher Austin Vaske (3-1) worked into the eighth inning while the UMD offense hit seven home runs in the nightcap as the Bulldogs scored at least a run in seven different innings including five crooked numbers en route to a 20-8 victory in the nightcap.

A. Wojciechowski added two more home runs -- making that four in four consecutive at-bats, and UMD got two homers from junior shortstop Kyle Hoffman (2) and one each from junior outfielder Grant Farley (8), freshman outfielder Eric Yachinich (2), and junior catcher Dominic DeFeo (1). The Bulldogs scored four runs early but saw Bemidji State come back to tie the game at 4-4 after plating two runs in each of the third and fourth innings. UMD regained the lead an inning later when senior third baseman Kyle Comer singled home Yachinich, who scored a run after each of his first five plate appearances on the day. That chased Beavers starting pitcher Jack Stigman (2-4) after 5.0 innings of work, allowing five earned runs on seven hits while collecting six strikeouts on the day.

The Bulldogs busted the game open in a seven-run sixth inning against a pair of Bemidji pitchers. After an RBI double by Vogt continued his hot start, Hoffman singled home two runs en route to five RBIs in the game. Farley's home run continued the rally, and freshman second baseman Nick Pedersen added another run later in the inning during a pinch-hitting appearance. Vaske finished his day with 7.2 innings pitched, allowing eight runs (five earned) on eight hits and four walks. He collected three strikeouts but was chased by a home run in the eighth that came after a pair of errors in the field that could have got him out of the inning unscathed (and with a mercy-ruled eight-inning complete game).

Freshman Ryan Cunningham entered in the eighth, forcing a groundball to get out of the inning. DeFeo's first home run as a Bulldog capped off the scoring, plating three runs in the top of the ninth inning in a pinch hitting appearance for junior catcher Marco Lucarelli, who had a hit in five at-bats. Cunningham worked a clean ninth inning, striking out one.

UMD scored 20 runs for the second time this season (a 31-16 victory over Sioux Falls earlier this month on April 9). The Bulldogs have scored at least 10 runs on 14 occasions and at least 15 runs five times.

UP NEXT
UMD and Bemidji State will return to the BSU Baseball Field on Saturday morning to close out the teams' NSIC series with a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m.