BASEBALL: Huskies Split Double Dip With Minnesota Duluth

Sophomore Kyle Fischer went all seven innings on the mound in game one.

DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Cloud State University baseball team earned its seventh doubleheader split of the season on the road against the University of Minnesota Duluth in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference twin bill Tuesday afternoon.

The Huskies (25-10, 10-6 NSIC) won the first game 5-3 before Minnesota Duluth (13-20, 6-13 NSIC) earned a 4-3 come from behind win in game two as errors plagued both teams.

In game one, St. Cloud State  took advantage of four Bulldog errors in the field to score its five runs on five hits, as five different SCSU players scored a run. 

The Husky offense did not take long to get on the board, as junior Phil Imholte (St. Cloud) drew a lead-off walk to start the game, and scored on a Bulldog error two batters later to take a 1-0 lead.

Minnesota Duluth added a pair of runs in the second inning as sophomore Kyle Fischer (New Ulm) allowed both runs on just one hit in the inning to make it 2-1 after walking two and hitting one batter.

The Huskies tied the score at 2-2 in the next inning as junior Steve Rindelaub (St. Cloud) doubled to lead off the inning and scored on another Bulldog error to tie the game up.

St. Cloud State then took the lead for good after erupting for three more runs in the sixth inning as senior Joey Benke (Roseau) was hit by a pitch to start the inning and scored on a single from junior Sean Borman (Minnetonka).

Junior Travis Cariveau (Sauk Rapids) then reached on an error after laying down a bunt, while junior Brian Hansen (Cold Spring) scored on the play.

The Huskies then scored their fifth and final run of the afternoon on a sacrifice fly from freshman Michael Jurgella (Plover, Wis.).

The Bulldogs again responded with a run in the sixth inning to cut the lead to 5-3 but Fischer shut UMD down in the seventh to improve to  5-1 on the season.

Fischer went all seven innings in game one, where he allowed just three runs on six hits, while striking out four batters. It is his second complete-game of the season.

GAME TWO

The Huskies worked with a quick lead for the second game in a row as Borman hit his fourth home run of the season in the top of the second to make it a quick 1-0. 

St. Cloud State added another run in the fourth as Jurgella drove in his second run of the day scoring Hansen from second to make it 2-0. 

UMD cut the lead in half with a run in the bottom of the fourth but the Huskies responded with another run in the top of the sixth as Borman led the inning off with a double and scored on a single from sophomore Travis Enger (Maple Grove) to make it a 3-1 game.

The Huskies then made three errors in the bottom of the sixth inning which allowed the Bulldogs to score three runs and take a 4-3 lead, which they held on to for final three innings as  St. Cloud State could not find an answer.

Junior Shawn Riesgraf (Chaska) earned a tough loss after going 6.1 innings on the mound. He gave up just two earned runs on nine hits, while striking out three batters.

The Bulldogs’ Adam Zwak earned his first win of the season after coming in to pitch 4.2 innings of relief. His line was one earned run on five hits to go with three strikeouts.

Borman was the only Husky in both games Tuesday to have a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI in game two.

The Huskies will now play a home-and-home series against Concordia University-St. Paul starting with a home contest at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon at Joe Faber Field.

Both teams will then travel to St. Paul, where they will compete in the final series doubleheader Sunday.