FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State scratched a run across in the bottom of the ninth to defeat South Dakota State, 3-2, in the opening game of a four-game Summit League baseball series Friday night at Newman Outdoor Field.
The Bison improved to 26-9 overall and 3-2 in league play. SDSU dropped to 12-21-1 overall and 2-3 in The Summit League. The two squads are scheduled to play a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Saturday.
NDSU's winning rally in the ninth began with one out as Tim Colwell was ruled safe on a bang-bang play at first base for an infield single. Nick Colwell added an infield single and Zach Wentz followed with a base hit to left field off reliever Shane Kraemer to plate Tim Colwell.
The game featured two of the top pitchers in the Summit League as Stephen Bougher took to the mound for the Jackrabbits and John Straka started for North Dakota State.
The Bison scored twice in the bottom of the first inning on run-scoring singles by Nick Anderson and Tyler Steen, but were held scoreless the remainder of Bougher's six-inning outing. The junior right-hander scattered seven hits, walked four and struck out three.
SDSU cut the margin in half with a run in the second. Phil Paquette led off with a single, moved to third on Daniel Telford's double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Aaron Machbitz.
The Jackrabbits knotted the game in the fifth against Straka when Beau Hanowski led off with a base hit and scored when he beat the tag at home plate on a squeeze bunt by Andrew Melton. SDSU missed out on an opportunity to take the lead later in the inning when Zach Briggs was thrown out at home trying to score from second on a base hit by Zach Rhodes.
Straka struck out seven and allowed only six hits in seven innings of work. Reliever Kyle Kingsley earned the victory after pitching a perfect ninth inning.
Kraemer dropped to 0-5 after allowing the ninth-inning run. He struck out three, walked one and surrendered the three hits in 2 1/3 innings.
Briggs tallied two of the Jackrabbits' six hits, while Tim Colwell led NDSU's 10-hit effort by going 3-for-4.
NORTH DAKOTA STATE 3, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 2
SDSU 010 010 000 2-6-0
NDSU 200 000 001 3-10-0
SDSU: Stephen Bougher, Shane Kraemer (7) and Zach Briggs. NDSU: John Straka, Simon Anderson (8), Kyle Kingsley (9) and Tyler Steen.
W-Kingsley (3-2). L-Kraemer (0-5). Save-none.
HR: none.
