Error, Sac Fly Give North Dakota State 8-7 Win Over New Jersey Tech

Friday, March 19

Winter Haven, Fla. (Chain of Lakes #1)

2 p.m.

North Dakota State

6-8

New Jersey Tech

3-9

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
New Jersey Tech	0	0	3	2	0	0	0	2	0	7	15	3
North Dakota State	0	0	1	4	2	0	0	0	1	8	9	2

Error, Sac Fly Give North Dakota State 8-7 Win Over New Jersey Tech

3/19/2010 11:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

WINTER HAVEN, Fla.--Preston Ghizoni's pinch-hit sacrifice fly with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted North Dakota State to an 8-7 victory over New Jersey Tech in college baseball Friday, March 19, at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.

NDSU shortstop Max Casper led off with a single into center field on the second pitch from NJIT reliever Steven Ace, and on the next play Casper moved to third base on an errant pickoff throw and obstruction by first baseman Jesus Jaile.

Ghizoni lifted a 1-0 pitch deep enough into center field to score Casper and make a winner of Bison reliever Alex Chaput, who pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings and improved to 1-0. Ace dropped to 0-1.

North Dakota State (6-8) scored four runs to tie the game 5-5 in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Zach Wentz doubled and Eric Nutzhorn singled to lead off the inning, and a wild pitch moved both runners up before Wentz scored on Nic Obey's dropped sacrifice fly.

Jay Hartman roped a one-out double to left field to plate Nutzhorn and Obey, and Casper's RBI single to center field scored Hartman with the tying run.

NDSU went ahead 7-5 in the fifth when Justin Kline singled and stole second, Wentz reached on a fielder's choice and stole second, and Nutzhorn singled to bring in both runners.

New Jersey Tech (3-9) tied the game again with two runs in the top of the eighth. Matt Petrone drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on James D'Aloia's single, stole third base, and scored on Bryan Bleakley's groundout to second base. D'Aloia scored on the next play when Teddy Bickert singled.

Casper was 2-for-2 with two sacrifice bunts for NDSU, and Hartman and Wentz both finished 2-for-4.

Bleakley was 3-for-6 with four RBIs and Jeffrey Pizzi was 3-for-5 for the Highlanders, who left 14 runners on base.

NDSU starting pitcher Mark Hermes lasted only four innings after allowing five runs on 11 hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Anthony Kliniske pitched 3 1/3 innings of relief before Chaput entered in the eighth.

NJIT starter Mark Leiter threw 125 pitches in eight innings for the no-decision. Only three of Leiter's seven runs were earned and he fanned six batters while allowing only one base on balls.

North Dakota State is scheduled to close out its eight-game spring break trip against Illinois at 10:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 20. The Fighting Illini are 4-8 overall after rallying for a 7-6 victory over Akron on Friday.