The University of Minnesota Duluth baseball team took a mid-week business trip to southern Minnesota today to take on the Winona State University Warriors, falling in both games of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) doubleheader.

Game One: UMD (5) - WSU (13)

Four runs in the bottom of the second pushed WSU out to an early lead to start off the afternoon. The Bulldogs would get on the board in response in the top of the third, scoring one on an RBI grounder from Nick Thompson.

A collection of nine runs over the third and fourth innings for the Warriors forced the Bulldogs to play from a major deficit, resulting in them staying scoreless until the top of the seventh.

With runners on second and third to start the final frame, a throwing error on the WSU third baseman allowed for Gabe Richardson to reach and Thompson to score. Another run was added on the very next batter with a passed ball allowing Sam Kliber to add a third run on the board for UMD. Troy Lynch would tally another two on a two run home run over the right field wall, but that would be all the Bulldogs could rally before falling in the end, 13-5.

Game Two: UMD (9) - WSU (14)

The Bulldog bats were hot to start off game two of the day, tallying the first run of the game on an RBI single from Lynch. A bases loaded walk tallied a second run before another RBI base hit, this time from the hands of Hayden Anthony, quickly made it a 3-0 Bulldog lead. Another two runs came across the plate on a two RBI base hit from Thompson before the end of the inning, making it 5-0 UMD at the end of the top of the first.

A leadoff home run and a run off an error by the UMD shortstop tallied the first two runs for Winona in the bottom of the inning. Though the Bulldogs did not let that go unanswered, tallying a run on an RBI grounder from Garrett Stauffacher to make the score 6-2 in favor of UMD.

A scoreless third inning and a one for one match of runs throughout both halves of the fourth kept the four run lead intact for the Bulldogs heading into the top of the fifth, where the Bulldogs were able to add two runs on a pair of defensive errors by the Warriors. The damage was minimized though as WSU added a run on an RBI double, making it a 9-4 lead for UMD after five innings.

Ten runs over the sixth through eighth innings, supported significantly by a pair of multi-run homers, allowed Winona State to complete their 14-9 comeback and take both games of the doubleheader off of the Bulldogs.

Looking Ahead

Bulldog baseball (19-23, 15-17 NSIC) returns home to Wade Stadium for a three game series against the University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles. First pitch against the Golden Eagles is currently set for Saturday, Apr. 26, at 1:30 PM.