The University of Minnesota Duluth baseball team has moved to 3-0 on the season after beating out Lewis University 8-4 Sunday afternoon in the Russmatt Central Florida Invite. The Bulldogs are off to their best start since 2011 when they started 3-0 - in which they followed that up with eight straight loses. 

UMD was primed to have a quick 1-2-3 first inning after a three-pitch strikeout and a groundout to the shortstop, but LU struck first after the following three batters reached and a run scored.

Through four innings, the Bulldogs were unable to advance a runner past second base despite getting men on first and second in each of the first three innings. But in the fifth, sophomore shortstop Chase Thomas was hit by a pitch and junior right fielder Brett Milazzo notched a double to put runners on second and third. With two on and no outs, junior third baseman Ben Danielson launched a three-run blast to right-center to tie things up.

After a scoreless sixth, the Bulldogs jumped all over the relief pitcher in the seventh. A double off the bat of senior catcher Tyler Midas scored Milazzo; sophomore designated hitter Cory Krolikowski smashed the second three-run home run of the game; and junior second baseman Eric Yachinich capped off the scoring by crossing home plate on an error by the third baseman on a ball hit by freshman left fielder Henry George to make it 8-3. 

That's all UMD would need as relievers Thomas Bruchu and Jeremy Thorson combined for 3.2 innings of work, allowing one run.

Starting pitcher sophomore Rece Dietrich threw 5.1 innings, allowing two earned runs (three runs total) on six hits while striking out five and walking no one.  

UMD will look to continue its success at the Invite Monday (March 5) against West Virginia Wesleyan College at 5:30 p.m. (CST).