April 12, 2003
Wildcats outscore Beavers, 31-6, in series sweep

WAYNE, Neb. - [game 1 box][game 2 box][game 3 box][game 4 box] The Bemidji State baseball team seemed to have things back on track after taking five of six games to open Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play last weekend. But Wayne State showed BSU that it still has some work to do, sweeping a four-game NSIC series by scores of 7-1, 9-2, 12-1 and 3-2 yesterday and today at the WSC Baseball Field.

• Game 1 - Bemidji State struck first, getting a single run in the top of the first inning when Shaun Ross grounded out to first base and scored Brian Beuning from third. Beuning led off the contest with a single, then advanced to third on a throwing error by Wayne State first baseman Tim Richt.

That proved to be the only BSU run of the game. After the first, the Beavers managed just two hits off of Wildcat starter Travis McCarter. McCarter would throw a complete game, allowing just the single unearned run on three hits. McCarter struck out nine and walked only one, improving to 4-0 on the season.

Wayne State needed until the home half of the third to get on the board. BSU starter Al Ryan held the Wildcats in check, allowing just two hits in his first three innings of work, including a Duane Whitmire RBI double to score Wayne State’s run in the third.

But the Wildcats would get to Ryan in the fourth, and took advantage of BSU miscues in the field to put the game out of reach. The first two Wildcat hitters of the inning reached on a walk and a hit batsman, and errors by Beuning and Tyler Norland led to four unearned runs in the frame. The Wildcats tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the fifth to complete the 7-1 win.

Ryan took the loss for BSU and fell to 0-4. McCarter’s complete-game three-hitter saw him remain unbeaten at 4-0.

• Game 2: Wayne State plated three runs in the first inning and would go on to score in every inning but the sixth, completing a double-header sweep of Bemidji State with a 9-2 blowout.

The Beavers pulled within 4-1 with a run in the top of the third and within 5-2 with another single run in the fourth, but the Wildcats put the game away with four unanswered runs - one in the home half of the fourth and three in the fifth - to cap the twinbill sweep.

Tony Klaers went 2-for-4 in the losing effort for BSU. He was the only Beaver with more than one hit. Brad Johnson had both BSU RBI without the benefit of a base hit.

BSU’s defense, which committed three errors in Game 1, tied its season high with five errors in the nightcap, leading to four unearned runs.

Scott Pugliese took the loss for BSU and remained winless at 0-6. Dan Wagner walked the only two batters he faced in the fifth, and Ryan Risbrudt closed the game. He allowed just two hits in 1.2 innings of relief. Damien Hecklesmiller picked up the win for Wayne State and improved to 2-0.

Both teams left 12 runners on base.

• Game 3: Wayne State hit four home runs, including two by Brian Disch, to cruise to a 12-1 win in Saturday’s Game 3. The Wildcats opened the floodgates in the second, scoring eight runs on just four hits - with all eight runs coming after there were two out in the inning. Disch’s grand slam was the big blow in the frame, and Chris Pedroza also hit a solo home run in the inning.

Disch also hit a two-run home run in the fourth, finishing 2-for-4 with two runs scored and six RBI. Brian Foy went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored for the victors.

Shaun Ross went 2-for-2 for BSU, and Tony Klaers finished 2-for-3; they were the only two BSU hitters with more than one hit. Mike Carlson scored BSU’s only run, coming home on Ryan Risbrudt’s RBI single in the sixth.

Jared Hertzel started for Wayne State and earned the win, improving to 4-1. He scattered five hits, struck out five and walked only two while not allowing a run.

Russell Berner started for BSU. He lasted just 1.2 innings, allowing eight runs - only two of which were earned - on three hits. Kyal Brandt, Mike Fore, and Dave Zothman also pitched in relief for the Beavers. Berner took the loss and fell to 1-3 on the year.

• Game 4: Bemidji State finally kept a game close in Saturday’s series finale, dropping its fifth one-run decision of the season, 3-2. The Beavers grabbed a 2-0 lead after the top of the first. Shaun Ross’s RBI double scored John Grindeland, and Ross later scored without an RBI on a throwing error by Wayne State shortstop Duane Whitmire.

Wayne State climbed back within a run when Brian Foy scored on Tim Richt’s RBI single in the home half of the first, and evened things up at 2-2 when Whitmire doubled and scored in the third.

The game remained 2-2 until the bottom of the sixth, when Mike Sorensen - who had come on as a pinch runner - scored unearned on a fielding error by BSU right-fielder Jeremy Mellen.

Bemidji State left the bases loaded in the fifth, and had two baserunners erased by fielder’s choices in the seventh as the team attempted a rally.

Bemidji State’s defense struggled all weekend. The Beavers committed 10 errors, which led to 17 unearned Wildcat runs in the series. Eight of Wayne State’s 12 runs in Game 3 were unearned.

Bemidji State fell to 7-18 on the season after the sweep and saw its NSIC record even at 5-5. Wayne State improved to 18-6 overall and remained unbeaten in NSIC play at 8-0. BSU is back in action April 15 with its home opener against Minn.-Crookston. First pitch for that double-header is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. CDT at the BSU Baseball Field in Bemidji.