The University of Minnesota Duluth baseball team closed out their four game series with the University of Sioux Falls Cougars tonight at US Bank Stadium, taking both games in this evening's doubleheader to collect the series sweep.

Game One: UMD (10) - USF (9)

The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead, getting things rolling in the bottom of the first with a leadoff single from Michael Gabbard. Gabbard would get himself into scoring position by stealing second base, setting up Nathan Rosenberg for an RBI single out to left field. 

Rosenberg was quick to round the bases for UMD as Troy Lynch would collect an RBI single on the next at bat. An errant pitch from USF would move Lynch over to second and set up the RBI double opportunity for Joey Flom, putting the Bulldogs ahead 3-0 before the end of the inning.

A leadoff home run from Jackson Yeager in the second inning contributed to a four run response from the Cougars in the top of the inning. However, a two out walk for Rosenberg would set him up to score on another RBI single from Lynch, tying up the scoreline 4-4 by the end of the second inning.

The runs continued to flow for UMD in the bottom of the third, as a pair of RBI doubles from Gabe Richardson and Rosenberg pushed the Bulldogs back into the lead by three. USF did not let it go unanswered though as Ben Serie poked an RBI single to the left field grass to get the Cougars back within two in the fourth, and a pair of RBI singles in the fifth would tie things up at 7-7.

The Bulldogs got two runs of their own in the fifth inning, cashing in on a RBI triple from Rosenberg and a RBI fielder's choice from Lynch. The Cougars kept the game neck and neck though, scoring two on a single from Noah Christenson to keep the game tied at 9-9. 

In the bottom of the sixth, Flom tallied a leadoff single and advanced to second on a wild pitch to get into scoring position. With Thomas Hanson up to bat, an RBI double from Hanson brought Flom across home plate and put UMD ahead 10-9 to close out the game.

Game Two: UMD (7) - USF (4)

A comparatively slow start to the second game of the day and final game of the series for both sides saw a scoreless five and a half innings begin with. 

The Bulldogs cracked things open in the bottom of the sixth with a bases loaded single from Flom scoring the first two runs of the game. The runs continued with an RBI single from Hanson and a fielder's choice bunt from Henry Bushey adding another two runs to the total. Before the end of the inning, Richardson and Rosenberg would go back to back again with a pair of RBI singles to round out a seven run inning for UMD.

Three straight RBI hits for the Cougars in the top of the seventh from Isaac Bonner, Frank Vogel, and Christenson saw USF pulling within three runs, ending the inning at a 7-4 scoreline.

UMD persisted throughout the final two innings to hold out for the 7-4 win, completing the four game sweep to end the series.

Looking Ahead

Bulldog baseball (6-2) heads south next for an appearance in the RussMatt Central Florida Invite this week. First pitch for the Bulldogs against Malone University is currently set for Tuesday, Mar. 11, at 3:45 PM CST.