The University of Minnesota Duluth proved itself to have enough pitching depth, and enough pop in its line-up, to continue in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference/U.S. Bank Postseason Tournament as the Bulldogs downed Northern State University 10-7 to advance into the elimination bracket semifinals against Augustana (S.D.) College on Friday evening in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

UMD (36-14) found itself behind quickly as Wolves slugger Lucas Lorenz lifted a one-out, two-run homer in the top of the first inning. The Bulldogs answered with a run of their own in less spectacular fashion, an RBI ground-out from junior third baseman Kyle Comer in the bottom of the inning, and came back to tie it up in the bottom of the third with a run scoring on a wild pitch and throwing error. Northern State (27-27), the eighth seed which had upset No. 4 Minnesota State University the night before, continued to be pesky, leaping out to a 4-2 lead in the top of the fourth with a two-run single by catcher Buddy Traxler. The teams traded sacrifice flies in the next two half innings before UMD took its first lead of the game at 6-5 when sophomore outfielder Grant Farley slugged his 10th home run of the season, a three-run shot.

Comer tacked on his second and third RBIs of the day with a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth, putting UMD up 8-5. Northern State pulled within one on a solo shot by Lorenz, followed by a pair of doubles as NSU got into the Bulldogs bullpen. Senior centerfielder John Meyer and junior right fielder Josh Denisen flexed their home run muscles in the bottom of the inning, giving UMD back its three-run lead. The Wolves scratched back into it, tying the game with a two-run double and an RBI groundout as they got to steady senior right-hander Wes Mleziva for three runs, two earned, late in his 2.1 innings of work.

Sophomore shortstop Brian Pierce found himself on second base with one out in the bottom of the ninth thanks to a throwing error on the NSU infield, but Northern's Colton Boucher would strike out the side around him to send the game to extra innings. Junior right-hander Matt Mattiacci gave up a single but pitched a clean inning in the top of the tenth. Junior first baseman Alex Wojciechowski, who had two doubles in the game and now sits one away from tying the Bulldog single season record of 20, reached on a dropped fly ball by Northern State's centerfielder. After a pair of walks to load the bases, Farley once again came through with a single that brought home the game-winning run.

The teams combined for 34 hits, with fives by Northern State to just one for UMD proving the difference in the game as the Bulldogs plated the game-winning run, giving Mattiacci the victory, thanks to a big error.

UP NEXT
UMD and Augustana will meet at 7:00 p.m. this evening with the winner advancing to Saturday's championship game against St. Cloud State University. That team will have to defeat the Huskies twice to earn the NSIC Tournament title and the league's automatic bid into the NCAA II Central Region Tournament. First pitch of the Championship game is set for 12:00 p.m. tomorrow.