Box Score (PDF)

FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota State University baseball team completed a three-game series sweep of IPFW with a 15-5 win in seven innings over the Mastodons on a windy and cool Sunday, April 10, at Newman Outdoor Field.

With the victory, the Bison improve to 15-13 overall and 5-7 in Summit League play, while IPFW falls to 13-19 and 1-11 in league action.

Junior right-fielder Ben Petersen went 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs, two runs scored and a double to lead the Bison, while sophomore first baseman Brayden Resch added a 3-of-5 effort in the batter's box. Drew Fearing, Taylor Sanders and Mason Pierzchalski each compiled two hits in the contest, with Sanders batting in a trio of runs.

NDSU right-hander Alex Rogers (1-1) earned his first win of the season on the mound after allowing three earned runs on five hits in six innings with five strikeouts and two walks.

The Bison erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to break a scoreless tie. Fearing singled to right field, allowing Pierzchalski to score for the opening run of the frame, before Paul Funk plated Danny Regan on a fly ball to right field. Petersen stepped to the plate next at bat and roped a double to right-center on the second pitch he saw, clearing the bases to plate three more runs and balloon the lead to 5-0. Sanders tallied the sixth run of the inning with an infield bunt single, before Regan made it 7-0 with a bases loaded walk. Juan Gamez drove in the final run of the frame for North Dakota State on a fly ball down the right field line.

NDSU continued its offensive surge with two runs in the fifth. Sanders worked a bases loaded walk, allowing Fearing to cross home plate, and Pierzchalski hit an RBI ground out to score Funk.

IPFW scored three runs in the top of the sixth on a home run from Jonathan Valenzuela-Reece, but the Bison answered with five runs in the bottom-half of the inning to build their lead to 15-3. Petersen plated the opening run of the inning on a bases loaded walk, before back-to-back RBI singles from Resch and Sanders allowed two more NDSU runners to cross home plate. The final pair of runs in the inning came after Resch and Petersen scored on an IPFW fielding error.

The Bison outhit the Mastodons in the game, 14-7, and committed only one error, compared to three for IPFW.

Valenzuela-Reece paced the Mastodons in the batter's box with two hits, three RBIs, and a home run.

Tanner McAninch (0-1) suffered the loss on the mound for IPFW after giving up two runs, one earned, on no hits with a pair of walks.

North Dakota State is scheduled to host the University of Mary in a non-conference game on Tuesday, April 12, at 5 p.m. at Newman Outdoor Field.