In the lone contest of the day of the University of Minnesota Duluth baseball team, the Bulldogs secured a 7–3 victory over the University of Minnesota Crookston in Madison, Wis. at Duck Pond at Warner Park on Saturday in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action.. The Bulldogs collected a season-high 15 hits and executed a balanced offensive effort, scoring in four different innings – it was also the second consecutive game UMD scored seven or more runs.
The Bulldogs took an early lead in the first inning with Sam Kliber and Hayden Anthony reaching base, and Troy Lynch doubling to center, scoring both runners for a 2–0 advantage.
In the third, UMC tied the score after a walk and a double brought in two runs. The Bulldogs responded swiftly, however, and Lynch, after reaching on a fielder's choice and stealing second, scored on a single by Henry Bushey. Nikhil Kandi followed with another RBI single, restoring UMD's two-run lead. The score was 4–2 in favor of the Bulldogs at the end of the third inning.
The Bulldogs extended their lead in the fifth. Bushey and Kandi singled, setting the stage for Michael Reem, whose single drove in Bushey, marking a season-high two hits for Reem. Later, Michael Gabbard singled to bring Kandi home, pushing the score to 6–2 through five innings. Reem also had a season-high total of 10 putouts.
The Golden Eagles added a run in the eighth inning due to an error and a walk, but the Bulldogs answered when Gabbard tripled and scored on Kliber's sacrifice fly. UMD maintained its 7–3 lead going into the ninth inning.
The Bulldogs' pitching staff, including Jalen Pascal and Joe Gizzi, combined to keep UMC at bay, securing the 7–3 final.
Jalen Pascal started on the mound for UMD, pitching four and 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, two runs, and striking out a season-high total of five batters. He threw a total of 74 pitches, far surpassing his season average of 7.41. Ayden Lysaght contributed one and 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, earning his first pitching win of the season with one strikeout and no hits allowed. Joe Gizzi closed the game with two innings, securing the save with three strikeouts and only one hit surrendered, totaling a season-high 42 pitches. Darren Loyola and Zak Brown also made appearances, with Loyola giving up one hit in one inning and Brown allowing an unearned run without recording an out.
Lynch recorded two RBIs and added a double, while Bushey collected three hits and scored two runs, demonstrating his impact at the plate. Gabbard hit a triple, notching two hits and an RBI and scoring once.
With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 8-24 overall and 7-13 in NSIC play.
