Bison Defeat Western Illinois, 6-1, to Clinch Spot in Summit League Tournament Title Game

Friday, May 23

Sioux Falls, S.D.

3 p.m.

North Dakota State Athletics

24-24

Western Illinois

20-31

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

Photo by: Jim Trewin

Bison Defeat Western Illinois, 6-1, to Clinch Spot in Summit League Tournament Title Game

5/23/2014 2:08:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Bison southpaw Parker Trewin pitched his third complete game of the season, helping the No. 4 seed North Dakota State baseball team (24-24) to a 6-1 victory over No. 2 seed Western Illinois (20-31) Friday, May 23, in The Summit League Baseball Championship, presented by First PREMIER Bank/PREMIER Bankcard, semifinals at Sioux Falls Stadium. With the win, NDSU clinches a spot in the championship game scheduled for Saturday, May 24, at 1 p.m. in Sioux Falls.

The Bison will take on the winner of the South Dakota State/Western Illinois elimination game being played Friday evening in their third consecutive championship game Saturday afternoon with The Summit League tournament title and a spot in the NCAA baseball tournament on the line. The game will be aired on Midco Sports Network and can also be heard on 96.3 KNDS FM. A free video webcast will also be available at TheSummitLeague.org.

Trewin, a 6-foot-3 junior hailing from Ramsey, Minn., went the distance on the mound, pitching all nine innings. He allowed one earned run on six hits while striking out eight and walking three to improve to 7-2 overall.

Wes Satzinger went 2-for-4 at the plate and scored three runs while Jon Hechtner also went 2-for-4 in the batter's box and scored a pair of runs to pace the NDSU offense.

With the win, the Bison improve to 24-24 overall and become the first number four seed to make the tournament title game since 2007 and the first four-seed ever to advance to the title game with an unblemished record in tournament play (2-0).

The Bison jumped out to a 3-0 lead after plating a trio of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Hechtner and Satzinger started the inning with back-to-back singles before Kleinendorst hit a bunt RBI single that allowed Hechtner to cross home plate for the opening run of the game. Satzinger increased the NDSU advantage to 2-0, scoring on a Western Illinois wild pitch, before Michael Leach scored Kleinendorst on a RBI fielder's choice for the third run of the inning.

Western Illinois cut the NDSU lead to 3-1 after scoring a run in the top of the fifth, but the Bison responded, plating a run in the bottom of the sixth on a WIU fielding error to push their lead to 4-1.

The Bison added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth to build their lead to 6-1. With one out, Hechtner singled to shortstop and Satzinger singled to center and moved to second base on the throw, while Hechtner moved to third. Hechtner plated the Bison's first run of the inning after scoring on a Leatherneck wild pitch and Blake Turbak's sacrifice bunt allowed Satzinger to cross the plate and increase the NDSU lead to 6-1.

Western Illinois' John White pitched a complete game, allowing five earned runs on six hits to take the loss and fall to 2-6 overall.