The University of Minnesota Duluth baseball team made a statement with their offense in game one against the Minot State University Beavers today, splitting their series opening doubleheader as they look to get back in the running for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) postseason tournament.

Game One: UMD (7) - MSU (3)

UMD would get their offense going first in this Saturday afternoon doubleheader, scoring two in the second inning on a two run shot from Trevor Gustafson over the left field wall to take an early lead. A solo home run from MSU in the bottom half of the inning would minimize the lead for the Bulldogs for a short time as a scoreless third inning would serve as a break in the action.

Back to back doubles from Gabe Richardson and Jack Puder, who would soon score on a wild pitch and subsequent throwing error, would get the energy back on track in the top of the fourth. It would end there though Tanner Albeck would launch a two run home run of his own to tally four runs for UMD in the inning and increase the lead to 6-1.

The two teams would trade solo home runs in the following half innings, with a leadoff shot by the Beavers in the bottom of the fourth that would be matched by a leadoff shot from Michael Gabbard in the top of the fifth. The next two innings would again stay scoreless as the Bulldogs carried their 7-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh. MSU would seem to start to rally back with back to back doubles of their own to open the inning, but that would be all they could gather as the Bulldogs would secure game one of the series.

Game Two: UMD (2) - MSU (6)

The Bulldogs jumped out to another early lead in game two, driving in the first run of the game in the first inning on an Ethan Cole base hit. The Beavers would be quick to answer though in the bottom half of the inning, scoring on a collection of base hits of their own to match the opening run and then further pushing the advantage with a three run home run to make it 4-1. 

The game would lock itself in a defensive battle through the middle innings, staying scoreless from the second inning all the way through the end of the seventh. MSU would add some insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, pushing their lead to 6-1 before the Bulldogs would get a chance to answer. A double from Troy Lynch would set himself up to score soon after on a Garrett Stauffacher single to the outfield grass in the ninth, but that would be all the Bulldogs would get before the end of the game.

Looking Ahead

Bulldog baseball will look to come out on top in the three game series against Minot State with tomorrow's finale. The first pitch of game three is currently scheduled for 12:00 PM.