Baseball - News

UMD COMES UP EMPTY-HANDED ON SUNDAY AGAINST MISSOURI SOUTHERN

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Junior catcher Brian Burman did his best to help the Bulldogs offensively, swatting two home runs in game one on Sunday

Giving up big innings in baseball makes winning very difficult. The University of Minnesota Duluth found out all about that on Sunday afternoon in Joplin, Mo.

The Bulldogs (2-3) were swept at the hands of Missouri Southern State University - by scores of 11-6 and 16-6 - giving up a five-plus run inning in each ends of its non-conference doubleheader at Joe Becker Stadium. 

In the opening match-up, the two teams traded runs over the first three-and-a-half frames. The score was locked at 3-3 going into the home portion of the fourth, but the Lions quickly changed that, plating two runs in their at-bats, to pull ahead 5-3.

The Bulldogs used the long ball in the top half of the fifth inning, to take the lead for the first time on the day. UMD newcomer Will Dahlgren swatted a two-run blast, scoring junior right-handed pitcher/outfielder Bryan Denisen in the process. Two batters later, sophomore first baseman Josh Threlkeld unleashed a solo shot over the right field fence, placing the visitors ahead 6-5.

Missouri Southern responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth and five more scores in their sixth inning plate appearances, putting a wrap on the rest of the scoring for the game.

Senior co-captain Cole Hytjan had a rough outing for the second time this season, going 4.2 frames, giving up nine hits while allowing six Lions runners to cross the plate. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native did strike out four on the day. The righty now has a 12.91 earned run average, giving up 11 runs off of 13 hits in 7.2 innings of work, thus far in 2009.

It was, however, senior right hander Andrew Vlasak who was saddled with the loss, after giving up three runs on three hits in just an inning of work. Ryan Verfurth got the pitching victory.

Junior catcher Brian Burman had two home runs in game one for UMD, finishing the day 3-for-4 with three runs batted in and two more scored. Denisen and Threlkeld each had two hits.

Game two played out much the same as the first, as the Bulldogs found themselves in a heated battled - the score was 4-3 in favor of the home squad - after three innings of action. However, the Lions again used a big frame, this time a nine-run fourth, to break the game wide open and help guarantee two wins on the day.

Each team scored three more times in the fifth inning, ending up with a final of 16-6.

A platoon of UMD pitchers got rattled in game two, with junior right hander Gary Wilfahrt, Jr. picking up the loss. Corey Wells got the win in the night-cap for MSSU.

Senior co-captain David Olson led all Bulldogs at the plate in the second contest, going 2-for-3 while scoring a run. Threlkeld, and fellow sophomore Tyler Erickson, each had two RBIs.

UMD and Missouri Southern will meet up again, tomorrow Feb. 23, at Joe Becker Stadium for another non-conference doubleheader. The first pitch of game one is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.

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