Knowling Shuts Down Bison Bats as IPFW Wins Series Opener, 5-2

Friday, April 18

Fort Wayne, Ind.

2 p.m.

North Dakota State

7-21, 0-8

IPFW

8-22-1, 4-5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
North Dakota State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	8	0
IPFW	0	0	1	0	0	3	0	1	X	5	8	2

Knowling Shuts Down Bison Bats as IPFW Wins Series Opener, 5-2

4/18/2008 11:31:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

FORT WAYNE, Ind.--Designated hitter Chris Gottschall hit a two-run double and starting pitcher Brandon Knowling struck out 11 batters to lead IPFW to a 5-2 win over North Dakota State in Summit League baseball Friday, April 18.

IPFW improved to 8-22-1 overall and 4-5 in The Summit, while North Dakota State fell to 7-21 overall and 0-8 in the league. The four-game series continues with a doubleheader Saturday, April 19, beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

Gottschall doubled in Jared Davis and Shaun VanDreissche to give the Mastodons a 3-0 lead, and he later scored on a wild pitch to go ahead 4-0.

North Dakota State scored with two outs in the eighth when Ryan Langlais singled through the left side and Sebastian Miles homered to left center. It was Miles' first home run of the year.

Gottschall doubled again in the eighth and pinch runner Quentin Brown scored on the next play when Mark Carden doubled down the left-field line. Gottschall was 2-for-4 and Carden 2-for-3 for the Mastodons.

Langlais, Miles and Mike Germain all hit 2-for-4 for NDSU. Kole Zimmerman was 2-for-5, including his career record-tying 44th double in the fifth inning.

Knowling issued no walks and scattered eight hits, and the Bison didn't have multiple base runners in an inning until the ninth against closer Samuel Walker. Shannon Ekermans reached on a two-out error and Devin Flynn was hit by a pitch before Walker fanned Zimmerman for the final out.

North Dakota State pitcher Jake Laber worked all eight innings and dropped to 0-5 with the loss. Laber struck out a season-high nine batters, issued three walks and gave up eight hits.