OMAHA, Neb. -- Northern State's baseball team lost an early lead and dropped the first game of a college baseball doubleheader with Augustana on Saturday.
The Vikings rallied for an 8-7, eight-inning victory over the Wolves. Game two was still in progress at press time.
After the Vikings struck for a run in the first inning, the Wolves built a 4-1 lead on the strength of a pair of two-run innings. Derek Tymesen's triple in the third inning plated two runs, and Trevor Sporrer contributed an RBI single in the next inning. Sporrer scored the second run of the inning when Clayton Nutting grounded into a double play.
The Vikings slowly chipped away at the NSU lead and eventually overtook the Wolves with a three-run seventh inning, scoring the go-ahead run on a sacrifice bunt.
The Wolves had an answer in the bottom of the inning as Robert Fahlin began the inning with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Cameron Lehner and to third on a passed ball. Robbie Rocamora then singled to drive in Fahlin, tying the game at 7-7.
In the top of the eighth, Marcus O'Neill doubled to lead off the inning, and Tony Viger was intentionally walked. After a strikeout, a ground out from Brendan Koistenen advanced the runners, and Kye Winter was intentionally walked to load the bases. O'Neill scored the go-ahead run on an NSU error.
The Wolves had a promising start to their half of the eighth, as Maurice Rodriguez tripled to start the inning, but was stranded at third after three consecutive groundouts.
The teams combined for 27 hits in the contest. Four players had at least two hits each for the Vikings, led by O'Neill with three. Jake Petersen added two and drove in three runs. For the Wolves, Fahlin went 3-for-3 while Rocamora, Trevor Sporrer and Buddy Traxler had two hits each. Starting pitcher Clint Manzo threw 6 innings, allowed six earned runs and struck out seven batters.
Results of Saturday's second game will be published in Monday's edition.
|Game One|
Augustana|100 021 31--8 14 2
Northern State|002 220 10--7 13 2
Kye Winter, Sam Gotham (5), Derek Quame (7) and Jack Goihl; Clint Manzo, Andrew Crisman (7), Adam Thompson (8) and Buddy Traxler. 2B -- Augustana, Marcus O'Neill, Tony Viger, Nate Hewes; Northern, Robbie Rocamora, Traxler. 3B -- Northern, Derek Tymesen, Maurice Rodriguez.