The University of Minnesota Duluth baseball team fell to St. Cloud State University Tuesday by scores of 18-0 and 9-8 at the Dick Putz Field in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.

Game One, 18-0 UMD Loss

UMD managed four hits in the contest but struggled defensively with five errors, while the Huskies capitalized with 14 hits, including three home runs.

In the first inning, SCSU took an early lead with a grand slam, after a fielding error and a hit by pitch put runners on base. The inning concluded with the Huskies ahead, 4-0.

A SCSU solo home run to right center, extended the lead to 5-0 in the second inning. While in third inning, the Huskies doubled their lead to 10 runs.

St. Cloud State maintained its momentum in the fourth inning, adding six more runs. A combination of hits, errors, and a sacrifice fly contributed to the scoring spree, pushing the lead to 16-0.

In the fifth inning, the Huskies added two more runs, including a solo home run, solidifying its commanding lead at 18-0. Neither team scored in the sixth and seventh innings.

UMD's pitching staff faced challenges against St. Cloud State. Darren Loyola started and pitched two innings, allowing five runs, one of which was earned, on two hits and two walks. Ayden Lysaght followed, conceding five runs, three earned, over 2/3 inning with four hits and two walks. Austin Lahti pitched 2/3 inning, giving up six runs, two earned, on four hits and two walks. Cal Smith provided some stability, pitching two and 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out three batters.

Troy Lynch recorded one hit and one stolen base while playing at first base. Hayden Anthony collected one hit and grounded into a double play from the left field position. Logan Myers walked once and successfully stole a base as the catcher.

Game Two, 9-8 UMD Loss 

UMD and SCSU both had quiet openings, with neither team scoring in the first inning. The Bulldogs took a brief lead in the second inning when Michael Gabbard walked with the bases loaded, allowing Troy Lynch to score. The Huskies responded in the bottom half, tying the game 1-1 with a bases-loaded walk.

In the third inning, Hayden Anthony and Lynch executed a double steal, setting up Logan Myers to deliver an RBI single to left center to put UMD ahead 2-1. The lead extended in the fourth as Thomas Hanson scored on a single by Gabbard, making it 3-1.

During the fifth inning, Hanson hit a two-run double to increase the lead to 5-1. However, St. Cloud State matched that with two runs in their half, narrowing the gap to 5-3.

The sixth inning featured a two-run homer by Richardson, pushing UMD's lead to 7-3, but the Huskies responded with two runs of their own to make it 7-5.

SCSU took the lead in the seventh inning by scoring three runs, making it 8-7, and added another run in the eighth inning to extend their lead to 9-7.

UMD added a run in the ninth inning when Richardson walked with the bases loaded, allowing Caid Chittum to score, but the Bulldogs fell short, ending with an 8-9 loss to St. Cloud State.

Liam Kruse delivered a solid start for UMD, pitching three 2/3 innings with two hits and one earned run while striking out two and walking five. Ryan Sheehan faced challenges during his one 2/3 innings in relief, allowing four earned runs on two hits and four walks. Zak Brown issued three walks in just 2/3 inning without conceding a hit, while Joe Gizzi closed the game, pitching one inning and giving up two earned runs on two hits, with one strikeout and two hit batters.

Hayden Anthony contributed a hit and a run, while also stealing two bases. Richardson made a significant impact by scoring a run and hitting a home run, which brought in three RBIs. Troy Lynch crossed the plate twice, collected one hit, walked three times, and stole a base. Thomas Hanson drove in two runs off a double and secured a stolen base. As a team, UMD stole a season-high eight bases in the game.

The Bulldogs are now 7-22 overall and 6-11 in NSIC action.