Gophers Hold On in Ninth to Split With Bison, 4-2

Wednesday, March 24

Minneapolis, Minn.

3 p.m.

North Dakota State

7-10

Minnesota

7-14

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

Gophers Hold On in Ninth to Split With Bison, 4-2

3/24/2010 11:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS--A.J. Pettersen hit a two-run single to go ahead in the fifth inning and Scott Matyas got three strikeouts in the ninth as Minnesota held on to beat North Dakota State 4-2 in college baseball Wednesday, March 24, at the Metrodome.

The Golden Gophers (7-14) snapped a three-game losing streak and earned a two-game series split with the Bison (7-10). The two teams will meet again April 28 in Fargo.

North Dakota State pulled within 4-2 in the eighth when shortstop Max Casper was hit by a pitch and three batters later scored on first baseman Zach Wentz's single up the middle.

The Bison got a leadoff triple in the ninth from Tyler Steen and a one-out walk to pinch-hitter Preston Ghizoni before Matyas ended the game with two strikeouts for his first save of the year.

NDSU took the first lead of the game 1-0 in the fourth inning when catcher Justin Kline hit a leadoff single and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by designated hitter Eric Nutzhorn.

Minnesota tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when Kyle Geason hit a leadoff double, moved up on Mike Kvasnicka's single to left field, and scored on Kyle Knudson's ground ball to shortstop.

Pettersen, the Gophers' leading hitter with a .398 average entering the game, got his only hit in three official at-bats in the fifth to score Andy Henkemeyer and Kurt Schlangen after their back-to-back singles to start the inning.

That chased NDSU starting pitcher McHale Maristuen, who was responsible for all four runs on seven hits with one walk in 4 1/3 innings. Maristuen struck out four of the first seven batters he faced, but he ran into trouble the second time through the batting order and dropped to 1-2 with the loss.

After an infield line drive for the second out of the Minnesota fifth inning, Pettersen scored on Kvasnicka's triple to right-center field to give the Gophers a 4-1 lead.

NDSU threatened to score in the sixth after a two-out walk to Wentz and a single by Nutzhorn, but Minnesota reliever Billy Soule struck out Steen in a pinch-hitting role to keep it a 4-1 game. Soule (1-2) was credited with the victory with 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

Kvasnicka finished 3-for-4 to lead the Gophers, and Wentz was 2-for-3 with a double for the Bison. Mark Hermes pitched 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for NDSU. He allowed one hit, two walks, and had one strikeout.

North Dakota State is off until Sunday, April 4, and Monday, April 5 when the Bison return to the Metrodome to play the University of North Dakota in a pair of doubleheaders.