Beavers sweep Tuesday doubleheader

MINOT, N.D. – There was not a lot that came easy for Minot State during its trip to Wayne, Nebraska, but the Beavers’ baseball team outlasted the Wayne State Wildcats in both ends of a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader by 15-14 and 15-6 final scores.

Minot State broke out the lumber in impressive fashion following a 1-2 series against Augustana University that saw the Beavers held to a single run or fewer in two of the three contests, including the perfect game Vikings starter Tanner Brown tossed in the series opener.

Hungry for success at the plate and ready to turn over a new leaf, the Beavers took it to the entire five-win Wildcats’ pitching staff right from game one’s first offering. Minot State scored in every inning save for the sixth, and sent 11 men to the plate in the production of a seven-run fourth.

With his team ahead 5-4, Minot State left fielder Jordan Williams, already recording his third plate appearance of the game after hitting an RBI triple and being hit by a pitch, led off the explosive fourth frame with a single to right field. Drew Behling and Nolan Monthei both drew free passes, and a chance with the bases full of Beavers came Ryley Humrighouse’s way after Behling and Williams stole second and third.

Wayne State turned to Josh Renken to face Minot State’s third baseman, but the Wildcats’ man at the hot corner, Chris Cornish, failed his pitcher and committed an error that allowed Humrighouse on base and two runs to score. Two more came around on a Jackson Pokorney single, and the final three scored on a two-bagger by Declan Buckle and an RBI groundout by Williams in his second at-bat of the inning.

The frame mercifully ended with a strikeout of Behling, but Wayne State faced a 12-4 deficit entering its half of the inning.

The Wildcats were unable to scratch anything across against Minot State starter Zach Newman after a three-run first and another in the third, though, as the southpaw worked around a leadoff single in setting down the next three Wildcats in the fourth. He would eventually finish with four runs allowed on seven hits in five innings of work, adding four strikeouts to bolster his final line.

The Beavers tacked on two more in the fifth thanks to a run-scoring double by Humrighouse and a wild pitch uncorked by Keean Allen, but the Wildcats roared back in the home half of the sixth. Eight Wayne State runs came around to score, punctuated by a Peyton Barnes grand slam that had the home dugout jumping for joy. Against all odds, the Wildcats were on the brink of an impressive comeback and trailed 14-12.

Minot State’s 15th run, a Buckle RBI single in the top of the seventh, proved to be a necessary one. Aaron Kern had some difficulties retiring the Wildcats in the bottom half, but after an Alex Logelin two-run knock, Eric Standish lined into a game-ending twin-killing that saw Logelin doubled off first base, sealing the 15-14 victory and Minot State’s eighth win of the season.

The Beavers ran wild on Wildcats catcher Conner Fiene, stealing 11 bases in the winning effort. Their robbery total was good for a tie for the second-most stolen bases in a single game in program history with their 11 from Apr. 3, 2019 against Upper Iowa. Four Beavers recorded at least two hits in the victory as well, led by Williams’ three stolen bases and 2-for-5 effort.

The afternoon’s offensive fireworks had only just begun, as the Beavers plated 15 more runs in the nightcap and again produced an inning in which they batted around, sending 14 hitters to the plate in an eight-run third inning.

Minot State had already taken an early 3-0 lead on the strength of a run-scoring single and double from Monthei and Dillon Buckmeier in the top of the first inning, and Wayne State got all three back in the second against Beavers hurlers Carson Tonini and Branden Hatley. The top of the third inning could be likened to death by a thousand paper cuts, as Minot State rattled off five consecutive one-out singles, and seven total in the fame, to join a pair of walks in scoring its eight runs.

The Beavers’ potent offense would bring four more around in the fifth and sixth innings with the help of a Wildcats error and another Williams triple, and the trio of Tonini, Hatley and Cameron Bagshaw held Wayne State to six runs in seven innings of work while striking out six.

Williams again led the way offensively, adding another stolen bag and two RBI to his 2-for-4 day at the plate. He was one of five Beavers hitters to record at least two hits in the game. After robbing the Wildcats blind in the opener, Minot State stole six more bags in the second contest for 17 total on the day.

The Beavers also moved to 9-5 on the season with the doubleheader sweep, and the team has now won three of its last five games following the cancelation of the second game against Upper Iowa Mar. 25. The club will look to bring its offensive momentum back home to Corbett Field for a twin-bill against Concordia University-St. Paul Apr. 7. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Beavers sweep Tuesday doubleheader

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Beavers sweep Tuesday doubleheader

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