The University of Minnesota Duluth baseball team put on their own home run derby today in Bemidji, powering to a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) doubleheader sweep in their mid week matchup against the Beavers.

Game One: UMD (9) - BSU (2)

A leadoff double in the second inning would help the Beavers get on the board first in this afternoon's doubleheader. The Bulldogs would get their chance to respond in the top of the fourth when an Ethan Cole single into the left field gap would score Jack Puder from second base. BSU would immediately bounce back, tallying another on a pitcher's throwing error and keeping the 2-1 lead going into the fifth inning. 

UMD would blow things open in the fifth, starting off with a two run home run from Gabe Richardson to put the Dogs back ahead 3-2. It wouldn't stop there though as Cole would send a two run shot over the wall as well. A RBI double down the first base line would end the scoring effort in the fifth, giving the Bulldogs a 6-2 advantage late in the game. Cole would drive in another two runs in the top of the sixth inning on a bases loaded double while the Beavers were shutout for the remainder of the game, securing a seven point win in game one for UMD.

Game Two: UMD (13) - BSU (7)

Cole would keep the momentum going with a sacrifice fly in the first inning to get the Bulldogs on the board first for a change. A quick one, two, three inning to retire the BSU side would get UMD back up to the plate, allowing Jack Nemetz to go yard for a solo home run and get the team out to an early 2-0 lead. A sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second for BSU would get them on the board, and a three run home run in the third would quickly flip the score to 4-2 in their favor. Tanner Albeck would cut into the lead with a solo home run to start off the fourth, but the Beavers would respond back with another two run shot to make it 6-3.

The Bulldogs were quick to get to work on chopping at the Bemidji State lead. A leadoff walk from Puder in the top of the fifth would put him into position to score off a standing triple from Cole on the next at bat, and he would trot in to score himself after a sacrifice flyout from Troy Lynch. Nemetz would take a walk and advance twice on back to back wild pitches, scoring soon after on a Henry Bushey double and tying up the score at 6-6 before the end of the inning.

BSU would recuperate from the lengthy inning with a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth, but it would not go unanswered as a Kade Peloquin double to start off the sixth would allow him to score on a Richardson single in the next at bat. A quiet bottom of the sixth and scoreless seventh would keep things at 7-7, however that would all change as Nemetz would get his second home run of the game with a grand slam shot to make it 11-7. Albeck would go on to draw the walk, and score on a Michael Gabbard triple. Gabbard would score on a well placed bunt from Peloquin before the end of the inning, putting UMD up 13-7 by the end of the inning. A scoreless eighth and top of the ninth would secure the Bulldogs second win of the day and their first doubleheader sweep of the 2024 season.

Looking Ahead

Bulldog Baseball returns home this weekend to host the Northern State University Wolves at Wade Stadium. The first pitch is currently set for Friday, Apr. 13, at 1:30 PM.