Seattle University rallied from an early deficit to tie the game in the top of the ninth inning, but North Dakota used a walk-off home run to pull out a 6-5 victory Friday afternoon in Western Athletic Conference action at Kraft Memorial Field.
With Seattle U down 5-4 in the top of the ninth inning and two outs, Chase Fields (Ontario, Ore.) used his speed to extend the inning, reaching base on a bunt single and stealing second base. Cullen Hendrickson (Auburn, Wash.) sent a single up the middle, allowing Fields to come around and score the game-tying run.
North Dakota (8-18, 8-5 WAC) ended the game in the bottom of the ninth inning, after Seattle U reliever Garrett Anderson (Kennewick, Wash.) notched his third straight strikeout to start the inning. On a 2-2 pitch, Taylor Petersen launched a home run over the right field wall to give the home team the victory.
“We put ourselves in a hole early and could not dig ourselves out. They swung the bats more aggressively than we did and hit our mistakes,” Seattle U head coach Donny Harrel said. “Andrew did a good job keeping us in the game, and Chase and Cullen gave us a new game to play with in the ninth, but the long ball got us today.”
Patrick Riewer reached base by being hit by a pitch to lead off the first inning, and Daniel Lockhert followed with a single. Petersen drove both runners in with a double down the left field line, and he would score on a one-out, two-run home run hit by Jeff Campbell, giving North Dakota a 4-0 lead.
Seattle U struck back in the top of the second when Michael McCann (Vancouver, Wash.) hit a two-out double to right-center field and came around to score on a single to center field by Eric Koenig (Auburn, Wash.). North Dakota earned three hits off Seattle U starter Mac Acker (Redmond, Wash.) in the second inning, but a pickoff prevented one run from scoring, and Andrew Olson (Enumclaw, Wash.) came on in relief and earned a strikeout to stop the North Dakota threat.
With one out in the third inning, Hendrickson hit a home run to right field, but North Dakota would respond in the bottom of the inning when Ryan Reese led off with a double to left-center field, advanced to third on a bunt single from Dalton Parrott, and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field hit by Jacob Threlkeld. After that, Olson would hold the North Dakota offense at bay, allowing just one more hit as he stayed in the game for 5 1/3 innings total, striking out five batters.
With two outs in the top of the fourth inning, Koenig and Austen Brand (Tacoma, Wash.) drew back-to-back walks, forcing North Dakota to make a pitching change. Fields drove in Koenig with a single to right field, and then while Fields stole second, Brand came home to cut the Redhawk deficit to one.
Andrew Thome came on in relief in the fifth inning and went the rest of the way for North Dakota, allowing just four hits, one walk, and the one ninth-inning run while striking out five Redhawk hitters.
Besides Fields and Hendrickson earning two hits apiece, Brian Olson (Black Diamond, Wash.) went 3-for-3 with a walk. Petersen led North Dakota with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate, while Lockhert and Parrott picked up two hits each.
Seattle University (18-19, 7-6 WAC) will face North Dakota in the second game of the weekend series Saturday, April 26, at 2 p.m. local time (12 p.m. Pacific time).