UMD Athletics

In the first University of Minnesota Duluth baseball game at Wade Stadium in Duluth, Minn. this season, the Bulldogs scored four runs in the seventh inning to comeback and defeat Southwest Minnesota State University 7-5 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

UMD took an early lead in the first inning when Michael Gabbard was hit by a pitch and later scored on a single to right field by Gabe Richardson, pushing the Bulldogs ahead 1–0. 

In the second inning, SMSU responded with two runs. Josh Berreth scored on a triple by Lane Moline, followed by an RBI single from Brock Woitalla, giving SMSU a 2–1 lead.

The Bulldogs tied the game in the third inning – Gabbard singled and advanced on a sacrifice bunt before being brought home by another RBI single from Richardson, leveling the score at 2–2.

The Mustangs regained the lead in the sixth inning with a run scored by Tyler Froland on a sacrifice bunt, making it 3–2 in favor of SMSU.

The Bulldogs rallied in the seventh, beginning with Hayden Anthony single and then score on a sacrifice fly by Logan Myers. Richardson's and Nikhil Kandi's RBIs, followed by a two-RBI double from Henry Bushey, propelled them to a 6–5 lead – Bushey's second-consecutive game with at least two hits.

UMD extended its lead in the eighth when Gabbard scored on an RBI double by Anthony, securing a 7–5 advantage, and held the Mustangs scoreless in the top of the ninth inning.

Jalen Pascal pitched six innings, allowing seven hits and three earned runs while achieving a season-high three strikeouts looking and nine ground outs recorded. Brady Schornstein contributed with 2/3 of an inning, giving up two runs on two hits with one walk. Blake Eiden closed out the game with two and 1/3 scoreless innings, surrendering just one hit and striking out four, securing his first pitching win of the season for UMD.

Richardson recorded three hits and drove in two runs, making a strong impact at the plate and recording a season-high three runs in a single game, while Gabbard scored three runs. Bushey added two hits and collected two RBIs.

UMD now holds an overall record of 16-29 and is 15-18 in the NSIC. The Mustangs fall to 20-26 and 10-24 in the NSIC. The Bulldogs will wrap up their current homestand on Wednesday with a doubleheader scheduled to be played at Wade Stadium.