EDINBURG, Texas-- Freshman Zach Muckenhirn again flirted with a no-hitter but a three-run sixth and a five-run seventh helped host Texas-Pan American to an 8-5 Western Athletic Conference win Saturday evening. Muckenhirn set down the first 17 batters of the game until the first hit delivered a pair of runs and UND could not hold a late 5-3 lead.

"We pitched it pretty well tonight, we were just bad defensively," UND head coach Jeff Dodson said. "We didn't take care of the baseball. We had 14 hits, so we swung it better, but we just didn't have much to show for it. We've got to get behind (scheduled starter) Alex Twenge tomorrow to finish the series out strong."

Muckenhirn was into the fifth with a no-hitter exactly two weeks ago and had a one-hitter in the ninth before eventually winning in extra frames at Chicago State. The fate would be different tonight. A two-out walk in the sixth broke up the perfect game and a catcher's interference and another free pass loaded the bases. The first UTPA hit plated a pair in a three-run inning to push the Broncs in front, 3-2.

UND had built its lead early when Patrick Riewer singled to start the game. He was sacrficed to second and eventually came around to score on an RBI knock by Jeff Campbell. Riewer again was in the scoring mix in the fourth when he doubled home Sam Alt, who had a one-out single to stake Muckenhirn to a two-run lead.

That margin was good until that sixth inning, but UND had an answer in the top of the next inning to reclaim the lead. Riewer reached on an error to open the frame and back-to-back hits by Tyler Follis and Taylor Petersen and a walk by Jeff Campbell put things in motion. Luis Calvo singled home a run and another came across on a bases-loaded walk by Alt for a 5-3 UND advantage.

Seven of UTPA's eight runs were unearned, including all five in the seventh inning. Campbell came on in relief and surrendered a two-run triple before getting a strikeout to end the threat.

North Dakota had the tying run at the plate with a pair of runners in scoring position in the ninth but Broncs' reliever A. Padron got a couple swinging strikeouts to end the game.

Muckenhirn finished with a line of 6.1 innings pitched with five runs, just one earned and only two hits allowed with three strikeouts and three walks. Brock Johnson took the loss, giving up a pair of hits in the seventh.

UND stranded 12 runners on the night, including one in every inning. North Dakota strung together 14 hits with five different players notching two hits apiece: Riewer, Follis, Petersen, Zack Trygstad and Daniel Lockhert.

The teams conclude the series Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch.