FARGO, N.D. – Freshman
Brayden Resch delivered a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning to help the North Dakota State University baseball team (18-28, 9-18 Summit League) defeat South Dakota State (30-19, 17-10 Summit League), 3-2, in the second game of a league doubleheader on Saturday, May 9, in front of 256 spectators at Newman Outdoor Field. NDSU fell in the opening game of the twin bill, 3-2, earlier in the day.
With the game tied, 2-2, entering the bottom of the 11th,
Andy Wicklund led-off the frame with a single to left field.
Paul Funk moved Wicklund to second with a sacrifice bunt, before pinch-hitter
JD Larimer was intentionally walked to give the Bison runners on first and second with one out.
Danny Regan was hit by a 3-2 pitch the next at bat, loading the bases for Resch, who delivered the game-winning RBI single through the right side on a 2-2 pitch.
Ben Petersen paced NDSU at the plate in the second game, going 3-for-5, while Regan and
Taylor Sanders each collected a pair of hits and drove in a run.
Reliever
Brian VanderWoude tallied the win on the mound to improve to 4-1 on the season after surrendering no earned runs on four hits with a walk and strikeout in three innings of relief of starting pitcher
David Ernst, who went eight innings and allowed just one earned run on seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks on 114 pitches.
The Jackrabbits gained an early 1-0 lead in game two after scoring a run in the top of the first inning on an infield single.
NDSU responded, though, knotting the game, 1-1, in the bottom of the second after Regan doubled down the left field line, allowing Funk to cross home plate.
Neither team was able to plate any runs the remaining seven frames, sending the game to extra innings.
The Jackrabbits pulled in front, 2-1, in the top of the 10th inning after an NDSU fielding error allowed SDSU's Paul Jacobson to score from third. However, the Bison responded in the bottom-half of the frame, knotting the game, 2-2, on Sanders one-out RBI single up the middle.
VanderWoude worked around a two out single and walk in the top of the 11th with a fly-out, sending the game to the bottom of the 11th.
Jacobson paced the Jackrabbits in game two at the plate, going 3-for-5, while reliever Andrew Clemen (1-1) suffered the loss on the mound for SDSU after surrendering two earned runs on four hits in three innings of relief.
In game one, South Dakota State scored two runs in the top of the first and another in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead.
The Bison trimmed the Jackrabbit lead to 3-2 after
JT Core hit a two out pinch-hit two RBI double to right field in the bottom of the ninth inning, but a fly-out ended the threat and sealed the victory for SDSU.
Resch went 2-for-3 in the batter's box to lead NDSU offensively in the first contest.
Despite striking out a career-high 10 batters, Bison left-hander
Trent Keefer took the loss on the mound after giving up two earned runs on five hits to fall to 3-6 overall.
Matthew Johnson went 2-for-4 with a RBI to pace the Jacks at the plate, while southpaw Chris Anderson (7-2) earned the win on the mound after allowing no earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks in eight innings of work. Closer J.D. Moore earned the save for South Dakota State.
North Dakota State is scheduled to conclude regular season play with a three-game Summit League series against the Omaha Mavericks May 14-16 at Newman Outdoor Field.
