GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- The North Dakota baseball team split it's doubleheader with Minnesota-Duluth today by scores of 13-2 and 6-8. North Dakota's record is now 11-12 overall and 2-6 in the NCC. Minnesota-Duluth now has a record 12-25 overall and 2-7 in the NCC.
Game 1 - North Dakota - 13 Minnesota-Duluth - 2
Junior pitcher Sean Cooley kept the Minnesota-Duluth bats at bay by allowing only five hits. Cooley pitched a complete-game, allowing two runs and striking out two and walking one in the victory. It is Cooley's first conference victory of the season, and he now has an overall record of 2-3 on the season.
The Fighting Sioux bats were alive and well as the offense pounded out 13 hits, five of which went for extra bases.
UND started strong as junior catcher Scott Schmidt doubled to right field and was singled home by senior Nate Meissner in the first inning of play.
In the fourth innning, Mike Lundeen started off the inning with a walk and senior Tim Burns followed that up with a long homerun to right field. Bo Stanley then reached on an error. Tyler Frenzel was hit by a pitch to give the Sioux runners on first and second. Schmidt then sacrifice bunted Frenzel and Stanley to second and third. Meissner then hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Stanley from third. Anthony Brenner walked to give UND runners on first and second. Andrew Gudmunson then singled in Frenzel to give UND a 7-0 lead.
The Sioux then got on the sticks again as they scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Three of the six runs came off the bat of Mike Lundeen as he hit a line-drive homerun over the centerfield wall for his second homerun of the season.
For the game, the Sioux had five players with multiple hits in the game. For the Sioux, Scott Schmidt went 2-2, Anthony Brenner went 2-3 with two RBIs, Andrew Gudmunson was 2-5 with an RBI, Mike Lundeen went 2-3 with a HR and three RBIs, and Tim Burns went 2-4 with a HR and two RBIs.
With the victory, UND has won four straight games.
Game 2 - Minnesota-Duluth - 8 North Dakota - 6
North Dakota's offense hammered out 10 hits and six runs but couldn't overcome the eight runs and 14 Bulldog hits. Minnesota-Duluth scored early and often and managed to withstand a late North Dakota rally to steal the 8-6 victory.
UMD scored a run in the first inning off of David Olson's homerun to take the early 1-0 lead.
North Dakota took the lead right back in the second inning after Chris Gulsvig and Mike Lundeen scored on Bo Stanley's double down the left-field line. Stanley would come around on a Minnesota-Duluth throwing error to give UND the 3-1 lead.
The Bulldogs added a run in the third, but took the lead back for good in the fifth inning as Tim Garceau doubled home a run and Tony Doherty hit a three-run homerun to put UMD up 6-3.
UND answered back with a run in the bottom of the fifth on Nate Meissner's sacrifice fly, but still trailed 6-4.
UMD would add two important insurance runs in the top of the seventh for the 8-4 lead.
The Sioux rally started off with a triple from catcher Scott Schmidt. Schmidt would score on Meissner's single. Anthony Brenner then grounded into a double play. The rally wouldn't end as Andrew Gudmunson reached on an error by the UMD shortstop, Chris Gulsvig singled, and then Gulsvig and Gudmunson advanced on a balk from UMD pitcher Tim Garceau. Gudmunson would score on a single from Mike Lundeen and Tim Burns would lineout to second base to end the rally and the game.
North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth will play again on Sunday in Duluth, Minn. at noon and 2 p.m.
