Bison Baseball Outlasts Mastodons

NDSU Scores 3 in the 8th enroute to victory.

FARGO, N.D. (NDSU Athletics) – The North Dakota State University baseball team scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to rally from a one-run deficit and held on to earn a 6-4 victory over the Fort Wayne Mastodons in the opening game of a three-game Summit League series at Newman Outdoor Field on Friday, April 14.

With the win, NDSU improves to 15-18 overall and 7-6 in Summit League play, while Fort Wayne drops to 6-25 on the season and 1-12 in league action.

With NDSU trailing, 4-3, entering the bottom of the eighth inning, NDSU’s Ben Petersen and Logan Busch hit back-to-back one-out singles to give the Bison runners at first and second base with JT Core coming to the plate. Core hit an RBI single to right field and advanced to second on a Fort Wayne throwing error, allowing Petersen to score the tying run and Busch to advance to third.

Matt Elsenpeter hit a sacrifice fly to center field, plating Busch to give North Dakota State at 5-4 lead before pinch runner Jake Malec crossed home plate on a Mastodon wild pitch for the third run of the frame.

Core led the Bison at the plate, going 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Elsenpeter and Alec Abercrombie each drove in two runs.

NDSU left-handed reliever Chris Choles (3-1) earned the win after allowing no earned runs on three hits with three strikeouts and a pair of walks in three innings of relief. Bison right-handed closer Kevin Folman tallied his team and Summit League-high sixth save of the season after getting the final two outs in the top of the ninth inning.

Jacob Dickson went 3-for-5 in the batter’s box with two runs scored to pace the Mastodons offensively.

Fort Wayne starter Jake Weber (0-5) suffered the loss on the mound after giving up four earned runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 7 1/3 innings of work.

North Dakota State and Fort Wayne are scheduled to play game two of the series Saturday, April 15, at 1 p.m. at Newman Outdoor Field.