Wayne, Neb.- The University of Minnesota Duluth baseball team defeated Northern State 2-0 out in Wayne on Monday to secure a 2-1 series victory over the Wolves dating back to Sunday's doubleheader. The win pushes the Bulldogs ever-so-close to the .500 line with both their overall record (12-13) and NSIC mark (5-7).

Yes, you read the final right- 2-0. This game took on a much different pace compared to the offensive frenzies of Sunday. The first inning gave us a hint of what was to come, as both UMD's Zach Kuseske and NSU's Max Otto gave up just a hit apiece. Kuseske would continue his shutout with a 1-2-3 effort in the top of the second- Otto wouldn't be so lucky in the bottom of the frame. In a game where offense ended up being at a premium, it was the Bulldogs that struck first. With two outs on the board, Austin Gordon recorded a huge hit that drove Sam Tanner home all the way from second to make it 1-0 UMD.

What followed was a pure pitcher's duel- something favoring the team that already had a run to its name. Kuseske got the upper hand in the third frame- three batters up, three batters down. Otto would counter with a two-hit effort to close out the third. The fourth would belong to Otto, who snagged a 1-2-3 inning of his own compared to Kuseske's two-hit outing. And so it continued- just a walk for Kuseske in the fifth, while Otto again left the bases empty. 

Or at least it looked like it would continue… all of the sudden, the Wolves really started to threaten with their bats for the first time in the game to open the sixth. A big double from Mitchell Tolk with two outs on the board pushed Jack Paulson to third. Bend but don't break- Kuseske forced Karson Hesser into a ground out in the next at-bat, keeping the 0 intact. 

This ended up being more of a hiccup than anything else, because this brief offensive affair was met with two more defensive masterclasses. For Otto and the Wolves, another 1-2-3 inning. For Kuseske and the Bulldogs, a strikeout paired with a huge double play  to snag the other two outs needed to push this one to the seventh.

Six full innings, one run. But that one tally was proof that scoring was in fact possible on Monday- just had to keep pushing. So, UMD pushed. 

First, Oran Hinkle got on board with a single. He'd be subbed out for pinch runner Thomas Hanson- a piece of business to remember for later on. Later on being the very next at-bat, when Gordon again served as the RBI guy for the Bulldogs by driving Hanson in all the way from first to double UMD's lead at 2-0. 

What a night it'd been for the man behind that 0 to this point in Kuseske, who gave up five hits compared to six strikeouts across seven innings of work. But in the top of the eighth, Alex Wattermann would tag in, tasked with finishing the job. He did a heck of a job out of the gate- pop-up, strikeout, flyout. Quick work. 

Otto remained on the mound for NSU in the eighth, and he sure didn't lose a step. The only way the Bulldogs landed a man on base in the inning was by way of a dropped third strike- other than that, it was another clean slate. The stage was set for Alex Wattermann to put the nail in this one to open the ninth. 

All save situations are big, but for Alex, this one was just a touch bigger than usual. The senior entered Monday with 14 saves to his name across his career, tied for the overall record in UMD history. One more, and he'd stand alone in the record books in that arena. No pressure, right?

Early signs were positive. Niko Pezonella grounded out to open the ninth, leaving the work to just two more outs. But the Wolves cared little about the Bulldogs' history books and kept working. A single from Tolk landed a runner on and put a potential game-tying run at the plate in Hesser. What is baseball without drama?

It's a shame there's no way to get two outs through one at-bat- unless…

Hesser made contact, but he did so right to shortstop Jack Puder. Puder then dished the ball to Ethan Cole at second- out number two. Cole to first-baseman Tosten Mann- out number three. Just like that? History. And a 2-0 win, to boot.

For as big as the Bulldogs' pitching proved to be in this one, the importance of an offensive presence like Gordon in a game like this can't be overstated. The junior outfielder went 2-3 from the plate and scored both of UMD's RBIs. But rest assured, the pitching was, in fact, big. To go along with Kuseske's earlier statline, Alex closed his record-setting save by giving up just a single hit and no walks across two innings of work.  

Two names stood out at the plate for the Wolves in this one, with both Tolk and Paulson going 2-4. Even in defeat, Otto put up a monster effort at the mound for NSU, closing with just six hits and a single earned run allowed while racking up 12 strikeouts across a complete game. 

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will look to quickly parlay the momentum of this series win against the Wolves into more success out in Wayne, this time against the team that's actually based out of the city: Wayne State. UMD and WSC will battle in doubleheader fashion on Tuesday, April 3, with the games set to start at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.