FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Jonathan Reece hit a pinch-hit sacrifice-fly in the bottom of the 11th to lift the Fort Wayne Mastodons (12-13, 3-7 Summit League) to a 4-3 win over the North Dakota State University baseball team (6-17, 2-8 Summit League) in the first game of a three-game Summit League series Friday, April 3, at Mastodon Field.
The second game of the series is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT) Saturday, April 4.
JT Core led the Bison offensively, going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of RBI.
Taylor Sanders,
John Skrbec, and
Juan Gamez also each tallied a hit in the game.
Jay Flaa (0-1) took the loss on the mound for the Bison after surrendering the game-winning run in the 11th. Flaa pitched two-and two-thirds innings, striking out three and walking one while allowing just one hit and one earned run.
Bison starter
David Ernst went seven innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits while striking out four and walking two.
Trailing 3-1 entering the eighth inning, NDSU's
Drew Fearing led-off the frame with a walk and advanced to third base on two consecutive ground outs. Core scored Fearing the next at bat on a single to left field, trimming the Bison deficit to 3-2.
Andy Wicklund replaced Core as a pinch-runner and stole second before Skrbec stepped to the plate and delivered a single to centerfield, scoring Wicklund and knotting the contest, 3-3.
Bison pitcher
Blake Stockert pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth, and Flaa threw a 1-2-3 ninth to send the game into extra innings.
The Bison had the go-ahead run at third base with two outs in the top of the 11th, but a strikeout ended the scoring opportunity for NDSU. After a strikeout to lead-off the bottom-half of the inning, Fort Wayne's Greg Kaiser smashed a triple to right field. Jon Timmermen walked the next at bat, bringing Reece to the plate. Reece hit the decisive fly-ball on a 3-1 pitch, scoring Kaiser, to seal the win for the Mastodons.
Evan VanSumeren led Fort Wayne at the plate, going 2-for-5, while Shane Trevino, Reece and Jackson Boyce each drove in a run.
Jake Weber (2-1) tallied the victory for the Mastodons after throwing three scoreless innings with five strikeouts and one walk.
