Today, the University of Minnesota Duluth baseball team opened their conference schedule with a double-header against Concordia University St. Paul. UMD would drop the first game 1-0 in a game dominated by pitching and fail to get their offense going in the second game as well dropping game two by a score of 7-0. The Bulldogs fall to 2-2 (0-2) NSIC in the early stages of the 2021 campaign.
 
In game one as previously mentioned pitching on both sides took center stage as UMD dropped the opener 1-0. After both CSP and UMD went quietly during their first turns at the plate, CSP would capitalize on a Pekarak walk as Ryan Bastyr hit an RBI double down the left field line scoring Pekarak all the way from first. From that point on pitcher Mitchell Waletzki would be dominant keeping the Golden Bears off the scoreboard until the end of his outing and keeping his team in the game. Waletzki would pitch five innings, surrendering only three hits, was charged with one earned run, and struck out eight. Waletzki would be credited with the loss, his first of the season and his record now sits at 1-1 for the 2021 season. The bats for the Bulldogs were cold in game one. UMD would threaten in the third inning bringing two runners on with no outs, a fly out and strike out, and lastly a baserunning gaffe would bring the inning to a close. In the top of the 7^th the Bulldogs would get a runner into scoring position trailing by one but would fail to bring them home as game one closed out. Luke Degrammont for the Golden Bears would be credited with the win, and Connor Hurley would come in, in the final inning to secure the result and earn his first save of the season.
 
After going quietly in the top of the first CSP would nearly break onto the scoreboard early had it not been for Bulldog starting pitcher Ben Shepard. Shepard would retire the first Golden Bear batter before giving up three straight singles. Shepard would battle back though with the bases loaded he would strike out the next two batters and avoid disaster in the bottom of the first. Following Tosten Mann's single up the middle in the first inning would serve as the Bulldog's only hit until the eighth inning. Concordia-St. Paul would break through in the third inning after a wild pickoff attempt would send a CSP runner from first to third. The next Golden Bear batter would ground out to second base however, the runner from third would cross the plate giving them a 1-0 lead. Shepard would handle the Golden Bears in the fourth and fifth innings leading us into the bottom of the sixth. CSP would string together a leadoff single and later in the inning a double to right center would knock in the second run of the game for the Golden Bears making the score 2-0. Shepard would be removed from the game following the RBI double, he is credited with his first loss of the season and his record now sits at 1-1 on the early season. Shepard would officially pitch five and one third innings, surrendering seven hits, two earned runs, and struck out six. CSP would tack on more runs in the bottom of the seventh stretching their lead to 7-0. The Bulldogs would load the bases in the top of the eighth but were unable to capitalize on the opportunity and that would be as close they would get to bringing a run across the plate falling in game two 7-0.
 
"This wasn't the start to our conference season that we envisioned but the big picture is that it is only two games" said Head Coach Bob Rients. "We'll learn from today and be excited for tomorrow's opportunity to get better".
 
The Bulldogs and Golden Bears will meet again tomorrow afternoon for another afternoon double-header with game one beginning at 1:30 PM.