Newark, N.J. - Five-run second inning propels University of North Dakota baseball team to an 8-2 victory and series split with New Jersey Institute of Technology on Saturday at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium. The victory also clinched the No. 5 seed for the Sioux (18-33, 13-15 GWC) at the upcoming Great West Conference Tournament.
"David (Lind) pitched really well again for us today and gave us a chance to win it with our bats," UND head coach Jeff Dodson said. "We had that big inning in the second and got some timely hits throughout the game that stretched out the lead for us.
"Now, we'll regroup a little and take some momentum down into Texas for the league tournament and see what we can do."
UND took control of the contest in the second inning when the offense produced five runs on four hits and a pair of walks. Senior Josh Nelson (Apple Valley, Minn.) drove home the first two runs with his 12th double of the season. Classmate Jabby Bakhit (Omaha, Neb.) then added his first of two run-scoring singles on the day before back-to-back sacrifice flies capped the scoring.
Sophomore David Lind (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) allowed his only run in the fourth when the Highlanders (13-41, 9-18 GWC) turned a pair of singles and a wild pitch into their first tally of the game.
Junior Jake Magner (Grand Rapids, Minn.) got that run right back after leading off the fifth with a solo home run. His 19th round tripper of the season puts him within one of the single-season school record held by Carter Rogalla (20; 1998).
UND would add two more insurances runs in the seventh when senior Andrew Gudmunson (Minot, N.D.) scored on a balk and freshman Ridge Halenar (Payson, Ariz.) scored his second run of the game on a RBI single by Bakhit.
Halenar led an 11-hit UND offensive attack with the first three-hit game of his career. Both Halenar and Gudmunson, who went 2-for-3, scored twice for the Sioux.
Lind (4-3) scattered seven hits in seven innings, while allowing one earned run and fanning three to match his win total of four from his freshman campaign a season ago.
NJIT opened the eighth with three consecutive singles off reliever David Spies (Grand Forks, N.D.), but the Highlanders managed just one run as the left-hander got a strike out and a double play to end the threat.
Both teams went quietly in the ninth to wrap up their inaugural regular seasons of Great West Conference play. The Sioux will fly straight to Edinburg, Texas from New Jersey where they will begin preparation for the league tournament, which begins on Wednesday at UT-Pan American.
"David (Lind) pitched really well again for us today and gave us a chance to win it with our bats," UND head coach Jeff Dodson said. "We had that big inning in the second and got some timely hits throughout the game that stretched out the lead for us.
"Now, we'll regroup a little and take some momentum down into Texas for the league tournament and see what we can do."
UND took control of the contest in the second inning when the offense produced five runs on four hits and a pair of walks. Senior Josh Nelson (Apple Valley, Minn.) drove home the first two runs with his 12th double of the season. Classmate Jabby Bakhit (Omaha, Neb.) then added his first of two run-scoring singles on the day before back-to-back sacrifice flies capped the scoring.
Sophomore David Lind (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) allowed his only run in the fourth when the Highlanders (13-41, 9-18 GWC) turned a pair of singles and a wild pitch into their first tally of the game.
Junior Jake Magner (Grand Rapids, Minn.) got that run right back after leading off the fifth with a solo home run. His 19th round tripper of the season puts him within one of the single-season school record held by Carter Rogalla (20; 1998).
UND would add two more insurances runs in the seventh when senior Andrew Gudmunson (Minot, N.D.) scored on a balk and freshman Ridge Halenar (Payson, Ariz.) scored his second run of the game on a RBI single by Bakhit.
Halenar led an 11-hit UND offensive attack with the first three-hit game of his career. Both Halenar and Gudmunson, who went 2-for-3, scored twice for the Sioux.
Lind (4-3) scattered seven hits in seven innings, while allowing one earned run and fanning three to match his win total of four from his freshman campaign a season ago.
NJIT opened the eighth with three consecutive singles off reliever David Spies (Grand Forks, N.D.), but the Highlanders managed just one run as the left-hander got a strike out and a double play to end the threat.
Both teams went quietly in the ninth to wrap up their inaugural regular seasons of Great West Conference play. The Sioux will fly straight to Edinburg, Texas from New Jersey where they will begin preparation for the league tournament, which begins on Wednesday at UT-Pan American.
