Box Score 1 (PDF) | Box Score 2 (PDF)

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The North Dakota State University baseball team rolled to an 11-0 win in seven innings in the suspended series opener against Fort Wayne before falling to the Mastodons in game two, 5-3, on Saturday, May 19, at Mastodon Field. The first game started Thursday, May 18, but was suspended just before the start of the bottom of the third inning due to lightning.

With the two-game split, the Bison are now 28-23 overall and 18-11 in Summit League play while the Mastodons move to 9-42 on the season and 4-25 in league action. North Dakota State also secured the two seed in the upcoming Summit League Baseball Championship with its victory in game one.

Sophomore outfielder Alec Abercrombie hit two doubles and drove in four runs, while senior catcher Danny Palmiscno tallied three hits, including a double, and three RBIs to lead NDSU at the plate in game one. Freshmen Tucker Rohde and Bennett Hostetler also each collected a trio of hits in the contest.

Bison left-handed reliever Blake Stockert (3-1) earned the victory on the mound after allowing no earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks in five innings.

Hostetler, Drew Fearing and Mason Pierzchalski turned a 6-4-3 double play in the bottom of the third to set a new North Dakota State single-season record for double plays with 46. The previous record was 45, which was set in 1996 and matched in 2010.

NDSU scored five runs in the top of the second inning Thursday to jump out to a 5-0 lead. Palmiscno drove in the first run of the frame with an RBI single to right field, before Abercrombie cleared the bases with a three-run double to right center field. Fearing plated the fifth run of the inning on an RBI sacrifice bunt that scored Abercrombie.

After resuming play Friday morning, North Dakota State scored a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning to balloon its advantage to 7-0. Hostetler scored on a Fort Wayne error for the opening run of the inning before Ben Petersen smoked a double to right center, allowing Pierzchalski to score.

NDSU didn't let up and scored four runs in the top of the sixth to expand its lead to 11-0. JT Core plated a run on an RBI single to left field, before Palmiscno smacked a two-run double to right field. Abercrombie provided the fourth and final run of the frame on a double to left center.

Stockert pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh to induce the 10-run rule and secure the Bison victory.

Catcher Dylan Wilbert recorded a pair of hits to lead the Mastodons in the series opener.

Fort Wayne starter Jake Weber (0-8) suffered the loss after giving up three earned and two unearned runs on six hits with one strikeout and two walks in three innings pitched.

In the second game, The Bison took a 3-2 lead into the eighth inning before the Mastodons scored three runs in the bottom of the frame to grab a 5-3 lead.

Fort Wayne kept the Bison off the scoreboard in the top of the ninth to secure the win.

Pierzchalski tripled and drove in a run to lead NDSU in the second game, while redshirt junior reliever Kevin Folman (4-1) took the loss after surrendering three runs – two earned – on three hits with two strikeouts in the eighth inning.

Infielder Jackson Boyce collected two hits to lead Fort Wayne in the batter's box.

Reliever Brandon Phelps (1-3) earned the victory for the Mastodons after giving up one earned run on four hits with a strikeout and two walks in five innings.

North Dakota State and Fort Wayne are scheduled to close out the series and the regular season with a single game Saturday, May 20, at 1 p.m. ET (noon CT) at Mastodon Field.