FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota State baseball team wrapped up regular season play falling short against Northern Colorado, 18-12, on Saturday afternoon at Newman Outdoor Field.
The Bison finished regular season play with a 19-28-1 (14-12-1 Summit) overall record and secured the second seed in the Summit League Championship. NDSU will face third-seeded Oral Roberts (24-30-1, 13-15-1 Summit) on Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m., in Tulsa. Okla. St. Thomas (22-24, 16-10 Summit) won the regular season title, but is ineligible for the tournament as the Tommies continue to transition to Division I.
In the regular season finale on senior day,
Carson Hake blasted a two-run home run in the second inning to put the Bison in front, 2-0. Northern Colorado (14-36-1, 13-16-1 Summit) responded with 10 runs on seven hits to open up a 10-2 edge in the third frame capped off by a three-run home run off the bat of Kai Wagner.
NDSU fought back with five runs on six hits in the fourth inning to pull back within three, 10-7, following an RBI single from
Sam Canton. After a solo home run from Wagner in the fifth, the Bison made one final surge cutting the deficit to 11-9 following a two RBI home run from
Colten Becker in the sixth. However, NDSU couldn't get anything going the rest of the way and dropped the contest, 18-12.
The Bison posted 18 hits as a team with
James Dunlap going 4-of-6 at the plate with two runs and two RBI. Becker also contributed three hits with three runs and a team-best four RBI.
NDSU combined to use nine different pitchers with
Matt Sargeant (1-2) picking up the loss after tossing one strikeout over 2.1 innings.
