Obey Homers Twice as Bison Rout Western Illinois for Doubleheader Split

Saturday, April 10

Macomb, Ill.

12 p.m.

North Dakota State

9-14, 1-1

Western Illinois

8-17, 1-1

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

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
North Dakota State	2	0	6	1	0	0	5	14	14	3
Western Illinois	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	7	3

Obey Homers Twice as Bison Rout Western Illinois for Doubleheader Split

4/10/2010 10:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

MACOMB, Ill.--Mark Hermes pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts and Nic Obey hit two home runs including a grand slam to lead North Dakota State to a 14-2 victory over Western Illinois in the second game of a Summit League baseball doubleheader Saturday, April 10, at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium.

Western Illinois won the opening game 6-3 thanks to catcher John Koszulinski's three-run double in the seventh inning. Starting pitcher Devin VanBrooker struck out seven in 7 2/3 innings for the Fighting Leathernecks (8-18, 1-2).

North Dakota State first baseman Zach Wentz hit safely in both games to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Wentz was 2-for-4 with a game-tying homer in the opener, and he hit 3-for-4 in the nightcap. He has had at least two hits in 10 of the last 11 games for the Bison (10-14, 2-1).

Wentz's fourth homer of the year tied the first game 1-1 in the top of the sixth inning, but Western Illinois went ahead for good in the bottom of the sixth when Koszulinski and Andrew Hagins drew back-to-back walks with the bases loaded. That ended the day for NDSU starter McHale Maristuen (1-4), who allowed three runs on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts in five-plus innings.

Bison reliever Alex Chaput ended the threat with a pair of force outs at home plate and a strikeout, but a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the seventh set up Koszulinski's double to the fence in right-center that made it 6-1. He was 3-for-3 with four RBIs in the game.

NDSU got two runs back in the top of the eighth when Max Casper hit a leadoff double and scored on Wentz's two-out double to end VanBrooker's day, and Eric Nutzhorn singled up the middle to score Wentz from second. VanBrooker upped his record to 3-1 with the win.

Second baseman Tanner Adam was 3-for-4 in the leadoff spot for NDSU.

In the nightcap, North Dakota State took a 2-1 lead in the first inning then took advantage of a two-out infield error to score five unearned runs in a six-run third inning.

Casper led off the third with a double and scored on Adam's double to right-center, and Justin Kline reached with a base-hit bunt before Western Illinois got the first two outs of the inning. Michael Riewer hit a potential inning-ending ground ball to shortstop Jared Depenbrock, who threw wildly past first base to score Adam and Kline.

After a balk, Tyler Steen belted a two-run homer to chase starter David Hill (0-3), and Obey followed with a solo shot off reliever Carlos Pinedo for an 8-1 lead.

The teams traded runs in the fourth inning before NDSU erupted for five more in the top of the seventh. Riewer hit a one-out single to score Kline, and Obey crushed a grand slam over the scoreboard in left field two batters later.

Hermes threw 117 pitches in the seven-inning win but kept the Bison bullpen out of the game. He allowed seven hits and walked two while upping his record to 1-0.

Kline was 3-for-3 while Steen and Obey both hit 2-for-4 for the Bison in the second game. Bryan Jordan was 2-for-3 with a solo homer for Western Illinois.

The four-game series concludes with a single nine-inning game at 12 p.m. Sunday, April 11.