April 23, 2007

Box Score

RAPID CITY, S.D. - The University of Northern Colorado baseball team allowed seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to fall to South Dakota State, 13-9 on Sunday, locking up a series sweep for the Jacks.

After Kevin Sandberg hit a homer to open the second inning, Adam Symons singled to second base and scored when Chad Murray hit the Bears' (10-23) second homer of the inning, giving Northern Colorado a 3-0 lead.

In the top of the third, Cory Morales scored the fourth run for the Bears, homering to center field.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Jacks (20-14) put two on the board to make the score 4-2.

The Bears cushioned their lead in the fourth with another two runs, after Murray opened the inning with a double down the left field line and scored on a Morales double down the same line. Zach Brockman then singled home Morales.

The Jacks tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, 6-6, but the Bears retook the lead in the top of the sixth when Brockman singled to left field, bringing Anthony Garcia home.

Another two runs in the seventh expanded the Bears' lead to three runs at 9-6 on a John Ray homer and run-scoring singles by Garcia and Sean Zyer.

SDSU pulled away in the bottom of the eighth, scoring seven runs to deny the Bears their first win in the three games series.

Brockman led the Bears with three hits, and drove in two runs. Morales and Murray also had multiple-RBI efforts.

Tyler Pearson earned the start, and allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings. T.R. Keating (1-3) took the loss, allowing four runs - although none of the runs were earned.

Northern Colorado's will face Creighton in Omaha on April 27 at 6 p.m. MT.