Bison Top Akron 4-3 to End Spring Trip With Sixth Straight Win

Friday, March 16

Auburndale, Fla. (Lake Myrtle Main)

1:00 PM

North Dakota State

12-5

Akron

4-12

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
North Dakota State	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	1	1	4	4	0
Akron	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	3	10	5

Bison Top Akron 4-3 to End Spring Trip With Sixth Straight Win

3/16/2012 10:41:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

AUBURNDALE, Fla. - North Dakota State took advantage of a balk and got two timely hits in the ninth inning to win its sixth straight college baseball game 4-3 over Akron in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational on Friday, March 16, at Lake Myrtle Park.

Tim Colwell hit a leadoff triple past a diving left fielder and Zach Wentz lined a single past a drawn-in infield with one out to give NDSU (12-5) the lead in the ninth after a bases-loaded balk in the eighth tied it at 3-3. Kyle Kingsley (2-1) pitched the final two innings scoreless for the win.

Colwell had three of NDSU's four hits in the game and scored two runs. Three of the four Bison runs were unearned thanks to five errors by Akron (4-12), and three pitchers combined to walk four and hit four NDSU batters.

Colwell singled and scored on Ben Herauf's sac fly in the third after an Akron error, and Tyler Steen's sac fly in the sixth scored Wes Satzinger after a wild pickoff throw and a fielding error to give the Bison a 2-0 lead.

Akron went ahead with three runs in the seventh, but none should have scored. Brady Stewart led off with a double and scored with two outs on Devin Ahart's bad-hop single over shortstop Max Casper's head. A passed ball put runners on second and third before Tyler Begun doubled to put the Zips up 3-2.

NDSU, which played its third errorless game on the six-game Florida trip, made three spectacular plays to help keep the lead early. Nick Colwell made diving catches in left field in the fourth and sixth innings, and John Skrbec's diving backhanded stab of a line drive ended the sixth to keep a 2-0 lead.

Akron put its first two men on base in the eighth with a walk and a single and threatened to break the 3-3 tie before NDSU's defense answered again. Kingsley got a force out at third base on a bunt, Casper got another force at third on a ground ball in the hole, and Wentz threw out a runner at the plate trying to score from second on Darius Washington's infield single.

Bison starter Luke Anderson struck out five of the first seven batters he faced but did not factor in the decision. He went 6 2/3 innings with two runs, six hits, two walks and six strikeouts before turning it over to the bullpen.

Akron starter Pat Dyer allowed two unearned runs in 5 1/3 innings with two hits, two walks and one strikeout in the no-decision and Scott Foster dropped to 0-2 with the loss. Washington, Stewart and Sam Trecaso each had two hits for the Zips.

North Dakota State is scheduled to play Minnesota in the Metrodome at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, and 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 21.