DAYTON, Ohio - Six first inning runs powered the North Dakota State baseball team to a 9-3 win over Dayton on Tuesday, as the Bison completed the four-game series sweep of the Flyers. The victory was the fifth-straight for the Bison.

NDSU improved to 11-3 overall, while the Flyers dropped to 3-11. The Bison will open Summit League play on Friday, as NDSU travels to Western Illinois. First pitch of the four-game series is set for 12 p.m. in Macomb. Friday will be a doubleheader between the Bison and Leathernecks, with single games scheduled to be played on Saturday and Sunday.

Jake Malec and Zach Solano each had two hits to lead the Bison, while they both drove in a pair of runs as well. Noah Dehne scored twice. Nine pitchers stepped on the mound for the Bison, including starter Max Loven in his season debut. In two-thirds of an inning, Loven allowed an earned run on two hits, while striking out one and walking one. Wyatt Nelson had three strikeouts in two innings, while Zach Smith, Gabe Pilla and Parker Harm each struck out two. Smith picked up the win in 1.1 innings of work, as he improved to 2-0 on the year.

Bennett Hostetler doubled in the top of the first to start the scoring for the Bison, as Peter Brookshaw and Malec scored on the play. Hostetler would later score on a balk, while Jack Simonsen scored on a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly by Calen Schwabe plated Dehne. The final run of the first inning came on a single to right by Malec, as Garret Hill scored. The Flyers scored on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first, but NDSU added another run in the third as Malec singled to bring in Solano. The final runs for Dayton came in the fifth and eighth innings. In the top of the ninth, Solano doubled to bring in Dehne and Nick Emanuel.