North Dakota State Comes Back to Defeat IPFW Baseball

Thursday, May 16

Fargo, N.D.

7:30 p.m.

Purdue Fort Wayne

22-29, 9-18

North Dakota State

21-25, 8-13

IPFW

North Dakota State

Photo by: Lucas Carter

North Dakota State Comes Back to Defeat IPFW Baseball

5/16/2013 10:26:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Box Score

FARGO, N.D. – The Mastodons got off to a 3-0 lead, but a four-run seventh inning gave North Dakota State a 6-3 victory over IPFW on Thursday night. The four-game series will continue tomorrow with a doubleheader at Newman Outdoor Field.

Kevin Wirth, Markus Kalber and Clay Hathaway all ended the game 2-for-4 from the plate against the Bison, but it was Tim Colwell who sparked the NDSU comeback which resulted in a loss for IPFW. The Mastodons scored two unearned runs in the first and added a run in the third, but NDSU chipped away with a run in the sixth and a four-run seventh gave them the lead. The final score would end at 6-3 as NDSU added a final run in the bottom of the eighth.

A dropped fly ball allowed Brandon Soat to score the first run of the game for IPFW. Soat took off from second with two outs in the inning and the Bison centerfielder misjudged the ball which allowed Soat to come home. Steve Lowden scored the second run of the game off an RBI single from Tyler Shepherd. Shepherd stole his 27th base of the season to move into scoring position, but a groundout would end the inning.

Clay Hathaway got IPFW going in the third inning with a leadoff single to right centerfield. A groundout moved him to second base and Hathaway took off to steal third base. Kevin Wirth connected with a double to left field that scored Hathaway, but the Mastodons were limited to one run, giving them a 3-0 advantage.

North Dakota State got on the scoreboard with a single run in the sixth inning, but a four-run seventh inning put the Bison in front. The first run of the seventh inning came in on a sacrifice fly, and Tim Colwell came up with a double to both advance runners and score a run. Hechtner was clutch for NDSU as he came up with a two RBI single on a 3-2 count. Colwell and Leach each scored on the play.

The final run of the game came in the bottom of the eighth inning as Kenneally hit a sacrifice fly to left center that allowed Kleinendorst to score. Jason Kalber put up a gutsy performance for IPFW, but was hit with the loss after throwing a complete game.

Kalber had NDSU limited to just three hits for most of the game, but the Bison ended the contest with 10 hits. Only two of the six runs scored were earned as Kalber struck out four while only walking one.

~ Feel the Rumble ~