MINNEAPOLIS-- A seventh-inning rally produced a tie, but time ran out as UND settled for a win (11-2) and a tie (7-7) in a non-conference doubleheader with the University of Mary Wednesday morning at Mall of America Field at the Metrodome. North Dakota trailed 7-3 heading to the bottom of the final inning when a comeback garnered UND's first tie since 1997.
"We let a game slip away from us today," UND Head Baseball Coach Jeff Dodson said of the second-game tie. "We didn't execute early and created some opportunities for them on the mound and it's unacceptable. We've got to be better prepared mentally when we get to the field and get ready to play."
GAME ONE
In game one, UND scored in every inning to secure an 11-2 victory. UND pounded-out 27 hits in the two games combined, 15 of those coming in the opener. After Mary (3-2) plated a pair in the first inning, UND starter Alex Twenge settled in nicely, allowing just two more singles in his final five innings for his second win of the season.
Every UND starter either had a hit or scored a run in game one. Zack Trystad had three hits, part of a six-hit morning. Sam Alt added three hits as well with Patrick Vandoorne, Patrick Riewer and Kris Kwak all adding two hits in the win.
GAME TWO
UND took a 2-0 lead in the second inning as Trygstad tripled for the second time on the day and came around a batter later on Taylor Petersen's ground-rule double. Petersen crossed home on Alt's single down the left-field line for the early North Dakota edge.
Mary tied it in the fourth with two runs and got four runs on just two hits in the fifth inning for a 6-2 advantage. That inning saw three straight walks and a two-out, two-run double produce the final damage in a frame that saw eight Marauder batters.
UND got one back in the home half of the sixth on Trygstads' single up the middle, one of his five RBIs of the day. After Mary tacked-on a single run in the seventh, UND faced a 7-3 deficit in the final half-inning.
Vandoorne and Riewer notched back-to-back singles then Kwak hammered a 1-1 offering over the baggie in rightfield to put the score at 7-6 with nobody down. Jeff Campbell then nearly tied the score two batters later, just missing an opposite-field shot in the same place Kwak homered, settling for a long double. Trygstad singled to center to knot the score with one down and Petersen followed with another single to put runners at the corners.
After Tyler Follis coaxed a walk to load the bases, Mary reliever Travis Famias got a strikeout and a flyout to end the game in a tie. Every UND batter had a hit in the second game while Trygstad had three hits and Petersen had two.
Trent Egan made his first start of the season on the mound, no-hitting Mary through three innings and finishing with a 51-pitch, four-inning performance with two hits and one earned run. Both hits came in the fourth inning and were both infield hits that helped produce a pair of Marauder runs. Riewer got the final three outs, allowing one hit and striking out a batter.
North Dakota (5-2-1) will embark on its Spring Break trip next week, starting with a Mar. 5 game in St. Louis, Mo. against Tennessee-Martin.
