Up 5-4, the University of Minnesota Duluth baseball team was three outs away from sweeping Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference's top offense St. Cloud State University at Wade Stadium Wednesday afternoon. After having won the first matchup 4-2 thanks to a dominant pitching from senior Jalen Busker, the Bulldogs (14-14; 10-6 NSIC) and Huskies (19-10; 12-5) took a one-run game into the ninth. With UMD leading 5-4, SCSU catcher Bo Schmitz trickled a one-out single through the left side of the field. Schmitz advanced to third after two passed balls. With the infielders in on the grass, first baseman Mathew Meyer grounded out shortstop Chase Thomas. Down to their final out, Huskies' Mitch Mallek singled up the middle to score Schmitz. Mallek, who was 2-2 on stolen base attempts coming into Wednesday's games, took off toward second base only to end up on third after a wild throw by catcher Tyler Midas. In a game which the score was close all throughout, SCSU's center fielder Jackson Goplen singled to left center to score Mallek and gave St. Cloud State a 6-5 win to keep it in the fourth spot of the NSIC.

The Bulldogs got one of their best pitching performances of the season out of senior Jalen Busker in game one of the doubleheader. Busker (W, 4-2) took to the mound against one the best, if not the best, offenses in the NSIC. The lefty threw 6.1 innings allowing just two runs on four hits, two walks and five strikeouts (four swinging, one looking). Sophomore Evan Vick (S, 2) allowed one hit in his relief appearance, but struck out the final batter (looking) to give UMD a 4-2 win.

Senior right fielder Brett Milazzo garnered his three-hit game of the season (3-for-4), which included his first triple of the season.

In game two, sophomore right fielder Chris Saltzmann had one of his best games at the plate as a Bulldog. Saltzmann went 4-for-4 with three RBI and one run. Saltzmann's RBI-single in the ninth gave the Bulldogs a 5-4 lead.  

UMD heads to Minot, N.D., to take on Minot State University (14-10: 12-2 NSIC) on Saturday, April 14, at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Coming into Wednesday, the Beavers had won nine straight, and 10 of their last 11 including taking three of four from a tough Minnesota State University-Mankato Mavericks team several weeks ago.