GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Houston Baptist scored runs in a variety of ways on Saturday to sweep a doubleheader from North Dakota in Great West play at Kraft Field. The Huskies (21-29, 12-11 GWC) won game one 7-4 and took the night cap 6-2 from the Sioux (14-33, 7-16 GWC) to move ahead in the four-game series.
"I feel like we let one get away in the first one," UND head coach Jeff Dodson said. "We got up early on them again, but got sloppy late and that really cost us.
In game two, we just did not swing the bats well and could not come through with any timely hits. We'll regroup and try to get our seniors a series split tomorrow in their last game at Kraft Field."
Game One - Houston Baptist 7, UND 4 (Seven innings)
The UND bats got going early off HBU starter Ryan Lower plating three runs on four hits, but the Huskies clawed away late taking advantage of four Sioux errors to post a 7-4 victory.
Senior Kyle Bolander (Hermantown, Minn.) laced an RBI-single through the left side and freshman Sam Alt (Lino Lakes, Minn.) ripped a two-run single through the middle to plate the runs for the Sioux in that opening frame.
Freshman starter Tyler Ruemmele (Eden Prairie, Minn.) held the Huskies off the board through the first four innings, but the right-hander walked the first two hitters in the fifth, forcing Dodson to make a pitching change.
After a wild pitch on his opening throw moved the HBU runners each up a base, reliever Brett DeGagne' (Sauk Rapids, Minn.) gave up a two-run double to Collin Hetzler to make it a one-run contest. An error by the Sioux defense would allow the tying run to score before Jake Gonzalez brought in the go-ahead run with a double to the gap in the left-center.
Freshman Brock Johnson (Detroit Lakes, Minn.) would enter the game and get three straight outs to keep UND within a run at 4-3, but the Huskies added two unearned runs off the right-hander in the sixth to extend their lead to 6-3. Two more Sioux errors in the frame allowed the visitors to build a three-run advantage.
Lower (3-4) locked in after the first, allowing only three hits over the next five innings while holding UND scoreless after the first. Kobie Hajdik replaced the right-hander to start the seventh and that breathed a little life into the UND offense.
The Sioux would load the bases off Hajdik thanks to a single by Zack Trygstad (Wayzata, Minn.) and a pair of walks and get one run across on a wild pitch before Gonzalez would come into pitch from center field. The right-hander was able to get Seth Means (Gillette, Wyo.) looking on a strike three call as he picked up his fifth save of the season.
Junior Kris Kwak (Maple Grove, Minn.) and Trygstad each had two hits as the Sioux outhit the Huskies 8-5. DeGagne' (2-4) took the loss out of the bullpen as he gave up two doubles to the two batters he faced.
Game Two - Houston Baptist 6, UND 2
Houston Baptist would score four unanswered after the fourth to earn the doubleheader sweep by defeating the 6-2 in the night cap.
The Huskies got their first run after three consecutive two-out singles in the first off UND starter Ben Clark (White Bear Lake, Minn.). The score would remain that until the fourth when the Huskies added their first of two runs on squeeze bunts.
UND would draw even in the fourth scoring a pair of runs on RBI-groundouts by Means and centerfielder Riley Beck (Munich, N.D.). Those would be the only runs the offense could muster off HBU starter Tyler Hoelscher.
HBU broke the tie in the sixth scoring on a wild pitch with two outs and Collin Hetzler drove in a run in the seventh on another squeeze bunt to make it a 4-2 contest.
Samm Wiggins made it a four-run cushion for the visitors with a two-run homer in the eighth off Clark. The left-hander would get through the eighth before giving way to senior Kevin Auth (Cambridge, Minn.) for the ninth.
Hoelscher kept the Sioux in check, scattering eight hits and allowing only those two runs in the fourth as he improved to 3-4 on the season. He did not walk a batter and struck out one as UND put the ball in the play, but could not get anything by the pitcher, who also had five assists and two putouts in the contest.
The Sioux picked up a pair of singles off HBU reliever Michael Schulle, but the Huskies' reliever was able to leave two stranded in the ninth.
Bolander went 2-for-4 with a double and run scored, while catcher Alex Twenge (Minnetonka, Minn.) had three singles to pace the Sioux offense, which outhit the Huskies again 10-8.
UND will look to earn a series split on Sunday as the team will honor its five senior in a pre-game ceremony before the first pitch at 12 p.m.
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