NDSU downs Jackrabbits in series opener

Friday, May 4

Fargo, N.D.

6 p.m.

South Dakota State University

North Dakota State

5/4/2007 11:00:00 PM | Baseball

By: SDSU Sports Info

FARGO, N.D. ? North Dakota State scored three times in the bottom of the eighth inning to take the first game of a four-game series from South Dakota State Friday night at Newman Outdoor Field.

With the 6-3 victory, NDSU improved to 9-23. The Jackrabbits dropped to 24-16 overall.

Tied at 3-all, Shannon Ekermans led off the bottom of the eighth with a base hit off Jackrabbit starter Matt Bowman. After Bowman retired the next two batters on a sacrifice bunt and strikeout, the Jackrabbits opted to intentionally walk Luke Otto. Gavin Hofer then gave the Bison the lead for good with a base hit to right field to score pinch-runner Kenny Beese. Sebastian Miles then greeted reliever Isaac Johnson with a hit to plate Otto. The final run of the frame scored on an error.

The Bison had taken a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Ekermans and a run-scoring single by Kole Zimmerman.

SDSU scored all three of its runs with a two-out rally in the third inning to take a 3-2 lead. Tyson Fisher walked, advanced to second on a base hit by Nick Adams and scored on an outfield error. Cal Lewis then walked against Bison starter Jeff Hille, and both Adams and Lewis scored on a triple to center field by Craig Parry. NDSU tied the game in the fourth on an RBI single by Sebastian Miles.

Bowman lost for the first time since a March 17 outing at Missouri State, ending a string of five consecutive victories as he dropped to 6-3 on the season. The senior right-hander struck out five, walked two and allowed nine hits in 7 2/3 innings of work.

Hille picked up his first victory of the season for the Bison as he pitched the first eight innings. He struck out seven batters, walked three and hit three batters. Matt Mossey pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his first save of the season.

The Bison held a 10-6 advantage in hits. Zimmerman, Hofer and Miles each had two hits for NDSU, while Parry and Adams each tallied a pair of hits for the Jackrabbits.

The two teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader Saturday afternoon. Start time has been moved up an hour to noon.

Notes: The start of the game was delayed 23 minutes due to wet field conditions ... SDSU catcher Tony Martin extended his hitting streak to nine games with an eighth-inning single ... Tim Hanigan and Tyson Fisher each went hitless for the Jackrabbits, snapping their 10-game hitting streaks Bison pitchers hit four Jackrabbit batters in the game ... SDSU stranded 10 runners compared to seven by NDSU ... the Bison have won the last four games played between the two teams in Fargo