The University of Minnesota Duluth used a tenth-inning rally in to secure its 12th-consecutive victory by a 10-6 final over Bemidji State University and sweep the teams' four-game Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference series in Bemidji, Minnesota after the Bulldogs took game one 4-3 in the teams' NSIC doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.

Senior right-handed pitcher Wes Mleziva (2-0) picked up a victory and a save (5), working 3.2 innings for UMD (27-9, 20-4 NSIC) in two appearances on the day, striking out six Beavers. Senior first baseman Alex Wojciechowski homered in both ends of the twinbill (28), making it seven-straight games with a big fly and 12 in his last 11 games.

Freshman left-handed pitcher worked in and out of trouble in 6.1 innings of work, scattering eight hits and allowing just a pair of earned runs while striking out five. Bemidji State (11-31, 8-18) rallied for a single run in the seventh inning after a three-base error charged to center fielder Spencer Diedrich, who stumbled in the outfield after a long run for a fly ball. That set the stage for BSU catcher Gunner Olszewski to hit a two-run homer that tied the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the eight.

Diedrich made up for the stumble with his bat, leading the Bulldogs with three hits in five at-bats along with senior second baseman Jimmy Heck, who drove in four runs in the game including a three-run double that broke open UMD's lead in the tenth inning. Junior outfielder Grant Farley also doubled in the tenth, scoring Diedrich with the go-ahead run as well as freshman outfielder Cory Krolikowski, who walked in a pinch hitting appearance.

Wojciechowski, who also had a homer in game, finished 4-8 on the day and is now hitting .497 on the season. Senior third baseman Kyle Comer was 2-for-5 with a double and a triple, driving in two runs and scoring twice. Heck, after plating three runs in the top of the inning, worked the bottom of the tenth on the mound, giving up a run on a longball by first baseman Mason Bellew, but securing the victory.

UMD 4, Bemidji State 3
A first-inning double by Tyler Wojciechowski put UMD up 2-0 in the first inning and a fifth-inning two-run homer by A. Wojciechowski helped the Bulldogs regain the lead at 4-3. The bullpen did the rest as Mleziva and sophomore right-hander Nick Dorfman combined for three shutout innings, allowing one hit, and securing the victory for junior left-hander Kevin Stocke (2-1).

Junior shortstop Brian Pierce doubled leading off the game, and A. Wojciechowski walked in his first plate appearance. The two performed a double steal, helping UMD get the first run home of the game on an RBI groundout by Comer. The younger Wojciechowski followed that up with a double the very next batter, putting UMD up 2-0.

The lead did not last long as Bemidji also doubled leading off the first inning, and Joey Hanowski came around to score on an RBI single by Scott Litchy three batters later, but Stocke forced a double play against Olzsweski to get out of the inning with a 2-1 lead. Another lead-off hit came in the fourth for the Beavers, with Litchy and Olszewski each singling and eventually coming around to score on an error charged to the Bulldog infield. Stocke finished with 4.0 innings, allowing two earned runs before giving way to the bullpen.

Junior left-hander Mike Lesinki (1-6) pitched a complete game defeat for Bemidji State, giving up four runs on just seven hits while striking out three.

UP NEXT
UMD will continue on the road this week as the Bulldogs travel to Upper Iowa University on Wednesday afternoon. All NSIC doubleheaders feature one seven-inning game followed by a nine-inning game. If the first game goes to extra innings, then the second reverts to a seven-inning game as well. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m.