FORT MYERS, FL -- The Fighting Sioux baseball team split the twinbill with Wayne (Mich.) State University by scores of 5-4 and 5-6. The Fighting Sioux gave the Warriors their first loss in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.
Game 1 - North Dakota - 5 Wayne State - 4
Senior Nate Meissner drove home the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly to left field to score Bo Stanley from third. Stanley started the come-from-behind rally with a single up the middle. Senior Tyler Frenzel put down the sacrifice bunt to move Bo Stanley up to second base and in scoring position. Stanley moved up to third base on a wild pitch from the Wayne State pitcher and on a 1-1 pitch, Meissner hit a towering fly ball to the Wayne State left-fielder which allowed Stanley to tag up and score from third for the game-winning run.
Senior Lucas Sandman started the game on the hill for the Sioux, but was relieved by Sam Kinne after four innings of work. Sandman struck out two and walked four in the no-decision. Kinne pitched three innings of relief for the victory, which is his second of the season.
Freshman Andrew Gudmunson was 2-3 at the plate with two RBI's. Meissner was 1-3 with a triple and two RBI's. Chris Gulsvig and Bo Stanley each went 1-2 at the plate. Gulsvig added an RBI in the effort.
With the victory, UND improves to 4-3 on the year and Wayne State falls to 8-2.
Game 2 - North Dakota - 5 Wayne State - 6
In the second game of the twinbill, the Sioux were beat by Wayne State 6-5. Wayne State jumped out early with a 3-1 lead after two innings, but in the fourth inning the Sioux answered back with a three-run innin to take the lead 4-3. Wayne State would answer back in the fifth inning with three runs of their own to take back the lead 6-4. UND's rally in the sixth would only add one run to send the Warriors home with a split in the doubleheader.
Anthony Brenner paced the Sioux offense by going 3-4 with two runs. Mike Lundeen and Andrew Gudmunson would each add two hits to the offense. Lundeen had two RBI's in the game. Tyler Merkel, Bo Stanley, Nate Meissner, and Tyler Frenzel each had a hit in the game. Merkel had two runs and RBI in the game.
Dana Roller started the game on the mound for the Sioux but was replaced after 1.2 innings of work. Jason Fuller came in the game and pitched three innings of relief work. Fuller was credited with the loss in the game, which is his first loss of the season. Fuller was replaced by Cody Randt in the bottom of the fifth inning and got the final out to end the Wayne State rally. Randt pitched 1.1 innings of relief, allowing no runs.
UND falls to 4-4 on the season and Wayne State improves to 9-3.
UND will return to action tomorrow afternoon against #21 Ashland University. Game time is set for 4 p.m. (EST) and will be played at Terry Park 3 in Fort Myers, Florida.
North Dakota has already played Ashland in the Gene Cusic Classic and lost 6-5.
