Bison Baseball Walks its way to Victory

Luke Lind strikes out 8 in NDSU win.

FARGO, N.D. (NDSU Athletics) – Senior Luke Lind pitched seven strong innings and tied his career-high with eight strikeouts, and freshman Bennett Hostetler went 3-for-3 at the plate to help the North Dakota State University baseball team defeat South Dakota State, 4-1, in the opening game of a three-game Summit League series Friday, April 7, at Newman Outdoor Field.

With the victory, the Bison improve to 13-16 overall and 5-5 in Summit League action while the Jackrabbits drop to 13-12 on the season and 6-4 in league play.

Lind, a right-hander from Eden Prairie, Minn., earned his third win of the season to improve to 3-3 on the mound after surrendering just one hit and one earned run over seven innings and 107 pitches.

Junior left-handed reliever Chris Choles secured his second save of 2017 after throwing two scoreless innings.

NDSU took a 2-0 lead after Matt Elsenpeter and Drew Fearing worked back-to-back bases loaded walks in the bottom of the second inning.

The Bison increased their advantage to 3-0 in the bottom of the third when Ben Petersen reached second base on an SDSU error before advancing to third on a ground out and scoring on a Jackrabbit wild pitch.

South Dakota State pulled within 3-1 after plating a run on a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

NDSU answered with a run in the seventh, though. Logan Busch was hit by a pitch to open the frame and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Hostetler singled up the middle, allowing Busch to cross home plate, to increase the Bison lead to 4-1.

Outfielder Phillip Jacobson went 1-for-2 with a double, run scored and walk to lead South Dakota State.

Left-hander Brady Stover (2-2) suffered the loss on the mound for the Jacks after allowing three runs – two earned – on two hits with four walks and one strikeout in 2 2/3 innings.

North Dakota State and South Dakota State are slated to play game two of the series Saturday, April 8, at 1 p.m. at Newman Outdoor Field.