NDSU Baseball Wins Fourth Straight After Double Header Sweep

The Bison defeated Western Illinois on Saturday, 10-7 and 6-3

FARGO, ND (KVRR) – The North Dakota State baseball team won its fourth-straight game Saturday, as the Bison swept a doubleheader from Western Illinois. The Bison won the opener 10-7, while taking the nightcap 6-3.

NDSU has won six of the seven games against Western Illinois this year, heading into the series finale on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Newman Outdoor Field between the Bison and Leathernecks. NDSU moved to 21-8 overall and 10-5 in the Summit League, while Western Illinois dropped to 9-19 overall and 5-10 in league play.

Jake Malec and Peter Brookshaw led the Bison with three hits each in the opener, while Garret Hill and Calen Schwabe each had a pair. Hill scored three runs, while Malec scored a pair. Malec, Brookshaw and Schwabe each drove in two runs. Bennett Hostetler broke NDSU career records in walks (92) and sacrifice flies (13). Ben Smith improved to 5-2 on the mound, as he struck out four in six innings. Smith allowed five runs (three earned) on nine hits and a walk. Gabe Pilla struck out a pair in two innings of work, while allowing two runs on three hits and a walk. Wyatt Nelson earned his fifth save of the year, allowing a walk in the final inning.

Western Illinois took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning, but the Bison quickly answered with three runs in the bottom half, highlighted by RBI singles by Hill and Schwabe. The Leathernecks took the lead back in the fourth with four runs. Once again, the Bison quickly answered with five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Hill scored on an infield single by Schwabe before Brookshaw brought in Schwabe and Jack Simonsen with a single through the right side. Hostetler brought in Malec on his record setting sacrifice fly before Will Busch singled to right to plate Brookshaw. NDSU’s final run came in the seventh, as Malec hit his fourth home run of the year to bring in Hill. The Leathernecks added a pair of runs in the eighth inning.

In the nightcap, Tucker Rohde led the Bison with three hits. Malec scored a pair of runs, while Nick Emanuel drove in two runs. Hostetler became the sixth player in school history to reach 700 career at-bats, while having his streak of 35-straight games reaching base snapped. Evan Sankey improved to 5-0 on the mound in 5.1 innings, as he allowed three runs on 10 hits and two walks. Parker Harm earned his fourth save of the year in 1.2 innings of work with a strikeout.

The Leathernecks started the scoring in the first inning, but NDSU bounced back with five runs in the bottom of the first. Malec scored on a double by Brookshaw before Rohde drove in Brookshaw to give NDSU the lead. Emanuel doubled down the right field line to bring in Zach Solano and Rohde. A single up the middle by Simonsen brought in Emanuel for the final run of the inning. In the second inning, Malec scored on a wild pitch for the final NDSU run. Western Illinois added a pair of runs in the third inning.

Courtesy: NDSU Athletics