21 up, 21 down.
The University of Minnesota Duluth baseball team's offense saw its first one-hit game since Feb. 1, 2008 on Friday in the first game of a doubleheader. On that day a decade ago, designated hitter Scott Sorensen launched a solo shot to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 win over the Rockhurst University Hawks in their season opener. UMD, though, was no-hit last year on April 15 against Augustana's top starting pitcher Jacob Blank.
The Bulldogs (6-10; 2-2 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) fell 4-0 in the first game of the day only to bounce back and take the second 6-2 against NSIC foes the Wayne State Wildcats ( 8-10; 6-2 NSIC).
The lone hit for UMD came off the bat of sophomore center fielder
Drew Stewart with one out in the top of the second. The following batter, junior second baseman
Eric Yachinich grounded into a routine 6-4-3 double play. Sophomore shortstop
Chase Thomas was the only other Bulldog to reach base after a five-pitch walk put him on first. But, once again, UMD would ground into a double play (4-6-3) to end the inning. Wildcats' sophomore Hunter Weinhoff (W, 2-2) kept the Bulldogs on a short leash, striking out seven in a seven-inning complete game while facing the minimum number of batters.
UMD's bats found its heartbeat in the rematch, swatting eight hits all around the field. Senior
Colin Baumgard, playing first base, garnered his first hit of the 2018 season with an RBI double to left field, scoring Stewart. Sophomore
Rece Dietrich (W, 1-1) took to the mound for his third start of the season, allowing just two runs on six hits in 5.2 innings while striking out four. Freshmen
Anders Brown and
Henry George both collected their first collegiate multi-run game, the pair finishing with two apiece. Both also accounted for the team's only walks, and three of the eight hits. Sophomore reliever
Evan Vick pitched two scoreless innings, moving his season total to 7.2 innings without allowing an earned run. Vick has given up just four hits and one walk on the season while striking out five, three coming in today's game.
Since the beginning of the 2015 season, UMD is 38-33 in away games (not including neutral site games) compared to 35-12 at home.
The Bulldogs will play at home for the first time this season against the University of Mary (2-12; 0-4 NSIC) on Tuesday (March 27) at Wade Stadium. The first of the two games will be held at 1:30 p.m.
