Wentz Homer Lifts Bison to Doubleheader Split With Sioux

Monday, April 5

Minneapolis, Minn.

12 p.m.

North Dakota State

8-12

North Dakota

3-15

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

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
North Dakota State	1	0	1	0	0	1	3	6	10	1
North Dakota	2	2	4	1	1	0	X	10	11	2

Wentz Homer Lifts Bison to Doubleheader Split With Sioux

4/5/2010 10:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

MINNEAPOLIS--Zach Wentz hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning to lift North Dakota State to an 8-6 victory over North Dakota in the first game of a college baseball doubleheader Monday, April 5, at the Metrodome.

Zac Salfer pitched six strong innings and North Dakota scored in each of the first five innings to win the nightcap 10-6. The Fighting Sioux (4-15) won three of the four games in the series.

Wentz, who extended his hitting streak to 10 games, was hitless in his first three plate appearances of the day before belting an 0-1 pitch down the left-field line to score Justin Kline and Max Casper with two outs.

UND trailed 4-1 before scoring five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Kris Kwak lifted a sacrifice fly, Josh Ray hit a three-run double, and Andrew Gudmunson singled in Ray one out later to make it 6-4.

NDSU pinch-hitter Preston Ghizoni got a leadoff single in the sixth and scored when Kline beat out a potential inning-ending double play ball by a half step. Wentz followed with his third homer of the year for the Bison (8-13).

NDSU reliever Jason Mattila struck out four batters over the final 3 1/3 scoreless innings to get the win and even his record at 1-1. David Spies, the second of three Sioux pitchers, dropped to 0-2 with the loss.

Nic Obey was 2-for-4 with a triple and scored two runs in the opener for NDSU. Ray was 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs for the Sioux.

In the nightcap, UND took a 4-1 lead through two innings and then sent nine batters to the plate in the third to tack on four more runs for an 8-2 advantage.

It was 10-2 before NDSU threatened in their last two at-bats. Tanner Adam hit a one-out triple in the sixth and scored on Casper's sacrifice fly, and the Bison got three more runs in the seventh on Obey's second homer of the year to make it 10-6.

Kenny Beese and Adam followed with two-out singles and the Bison had the tying run on-deck when Casper popped up to right field to end the game.

Wentz was 3-for-3 with a double in the second game, Beese and Adam both finished 2-for-4, and Obey was 1-for-3 with four RBIs.

Josh Lagein was 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the Sioux and Ray, Jabby Bakhit and Ridge Halenar each had two hits.

NDSU starter Kirk Dehler allowed four runs on four hits with one walk in 1 2/3 innings and dropped to 0-2 with the loss. Salfer allowed three runs on six hits and struck out four to improve to 1-2.

North Dakota State is scheduled to begin a four-game Summit League series at Western Illinois on Friday, April 9.