The University of Minnesota Duluth baseball team wrapped up its spring break trip to Florida, and the Bulldogs suffered four setbacks in its final four games over Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

 

Game vs Wayne State University, Thursday, 5-2 UMD Loss

The Bulldogs fell to the Warriors 5-2 on Thursday at NE Regional Park #2 in Davenport, Fla. UMD managed three hits and two runs, with the team drawing five walks in the game.

 

The Bulldogs took an early lead in the first inning when Logan Myers scored on a throwing error after reaching third base. Gabe Richardson's single had advanced Myers to second, and Troy Lynch's fielder's choice allowed him to move to third. UMD led 1–0 after the first inning.

 

In the third inning, UMD added to its lead. Sam Kliber, hit by a pitch, advanced to third on Richardson's double to left field. Kliber then scored on another fielder's choice by Lynch, a 2–1 advantage for UMD at the end of the third inning.

 

Wayne State tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run, a 2-2 score that would hold through four innings.

 

In the seventh inning, the Warriors regained the lead, scoring on a groundout RBI after a double and a walk. The score was 3–2 in WSU's favor after the seventh inning before the Warriors extended its lead in the eighth inning with a two-RBI double to center field, making it 5–2.

 

UMD could not recover in the final inning, resulting in a 5–2 loss to Wayne State.

 

Jalen Pascal pitched six and 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and three earned runs. He struck out three batters and walked one, throwing 94 pitches with 60 strikes. Ayden Lysaght relieved Pascal and pitched one and 2/3 innings, yielding one hit and two earned runs while issuing two walks. Lysaght threw 16 pitches, with 10 being strikes, and faced eight batters.

 

Myers contributed with one run and one hit in his four-at-bats. Richardson made a strong impact with two hits, including a double, and recorded five assists in the field. Lynch drove in a run and executed a sacrifice bunt to advance runners.

 

Game vs Northern State, Saturday, 5-1 Loss

UMD fell in Sanford, Florida 5-1 on Saturday at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium. The Bulldogs took an early lead with a run in the first inning, but Northern State responded with a decisive five-run rally in the sixth.

 

The Bulldogs took an early lead in the first inning when Hayden Anthony reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Logan Myers to score after he advanced on an error to put the Bulldogs ahead 1-0.

 

Northern State took control of the game in the sixth inning, however. After a double by Dominic Castella, the Wolves loaded the bases with a walk and a single. Cody Lott then singled, driving in two runs. A wild pitch advanced runners, setting the stage for a three-run homer by Jake Weidner, giving Northern State a 5-1 lead.

 

UMD was unable to find anymore offensive in the final innings, and game concluded with 5-1 NSU win.

 

Henry Wilkinson pitched five and 1/3 innings for UMD, allowing six hits and four earned runs while striking out six batters. Despite his efforts, he was tagged with the loss, bringing his season record to 1-3. 

 

Sam Kliber contributed with two hits and four assists in the game, while Myers reached base twice through walks and scored a run. Anthony recorded a hit, drove in a run, and stole a base. Wilkinson pitched five and 1/3 innings, striking out six batters while allowing four earned runs.

 

Game Two vs Northern State, Saturday, 11-10 Loss

UMD narrowly fell to Northern State 11-10 on Saturday at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium in Sanford, Fla.. Despite a strong fourth inning where the Bulldogs scored six runs, the Wolves late-game surge proved decisive.

 

NSU started with a run in the first inning after Kesti walked and scored on a fielder's choice, giving them a 1-0 lead.

 

In the second inning, the Wolves added another run, but the Bulldogs responded with a four-run rally. Hayden Anthony singled to start, followed by Garrett Stauffacher's single. Henry Bushey's bunt led to an error, allowing Anthony to score, marking Bushey's season-high of two runs scored. Caden Klebba drove in two runs with a single, his first time achieving two RBIs this season, and Logan Myers capped the inning with a double that brought home Michael Gabbard. UMD led 4-2 after two innings.

 

The fourth inning saw the Bulldogs extend their lead with a six-run outburst. Bushey and Myers each singled, and Myers delivered a two-RBI double, contributing to his season-high of three RBIs. Richardson followed with an RBI double, driving in Myers. Troy Lynch's single up the middle scored Richardson, and Anthony's two-run homer gave UMD a 10-2 lead through four innings.

 

NSU chipped away at the lead in the sixth inning, scoring three runs, highlighted by a double from Castella that brought in Tahsini to make it 10-6. In the seventh, the Wolves capitalized on the Bulldogs' wild pitches and passed balls to score three more runs, trimming UMD's lead to 10-9.

 

NSU took control in the eighth inning. Weidner doubled and scored on a single by Tahsini. Castella later scored on a wild pitch, giving the Wolves a 11-10 lead, a lead UMD was unable to come back from.

 

Wattermann started for UMD, pitching five innings and allowing three earned runs on six hits, while striking out four and walking three. Smith, in relief, faced three batters without recording an out, surrendering three runs on three hits, while Lysaght pitched 1 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on three hits and issuing three walks. Haughton contributed 2/3 of an inning, allowing two runs and two hits, while Eiden closed with one and 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out three with one walk.

 

Logan Myers led the offensive charge with three RBIs and two doubles. Hayden Anthony contributed with two hits, including a home run, and drove in two runs, while Caden Klebba added two RBIs with one hit, reaching a season-high of 10 putouts. Michael Gabbard scored twice and recorded a hit in the game. Sam Kliber also made a notable defensive contribution with a season-high total of four putouts.

Game vs Northern State, Sunday, 13-8 Loss

UMD fell to NSU in a high-scoring affair, losing 13–8 on Sunday in Auburndale Fla. at Lake Myrtle Park. Despite a four-run third inning from UMD, the Wolves six-run second inning established an early lead that proved decisive.

 

NSU took an early lead in the first inning as Castella scored on an error by the Bulldogs, after reaching base on a separate error for the early 1–0 lead.

 

In the second inning, the Warriors extended its lead with a six-run frame. Lott started with a single, and Weidner was hit by a pitch. Tahsini, Soulek, and Kesti followed with consecutive RBI hits, including a two-RBI single by Kesti. Niaves and Vining added RBIs to cap the inning. Northern State led 7–0.

 

UMD responded in the third inning, scoring four runs. Henry Bushey, who has recorded at least two hits in two consecutive games, singled and was driven home along with two others by Gabe Richardson's two-RBI single. Logan Myers and Sam Kliber also contributed with hits, closing the gap to 7–4.

 

In the fifth, NSU added two runs on a single by Castella, while the Bulldogs answered with a run as Kliber scored on a wild pitch to make it a 9–5 game in favor of Wolves. Kliber, who recorded a season-high of 3 runs batted in, also notched three fielding assists, exceeding his season average.

 

In the sixth inning, UMD scored when Bushey came home on a sacrifice fly from Michael Gabbard – his third run of the game – a season high. NSU added one run on an error, maintaining a 10–6 lead.

 

The Bulldogs narrowed the deficit in the eighth inning when Kliber singled to drive in two runs, bringing the score to 10–8.

 

The Wolves sealed the game with three runs in the ninth inning, highlighted by a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly. The final score was Northern State 13, UMD 8.

 

UMD's pitchers faced a challenging outing against NSU. Michael Foley started and pitched one and 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits without recording a strikeout. Despite Foley's struggles, Schornstein provided some relief, pitching one 1/3 innings with only one hit and no runs allowed. Caden Klebba was effective in his two innings, striking out two batters and not allowing any runs. While Chase Eiden and Alex Boston combined for a rough ninth inning, giving up three runs and three walks, Joe Gizzi managed to finish the frame without allowing any further damage.

 

Sam Kliber recorded two hits and drove in three runs while scoring twice. Bushey crossed the plate three times and added two hits to his performance, and Richardson contributed with two RBIs, securing a hit in the process.

 

UMD now has an overall record of 3-17, while NSU holds an overall record of 6-8.

 

Game Notes:

- The team totaled eight runs in the game, exceeding their season average of 5.28.

- Stauffacher achieved a season-high total of four putouts.