Cardiac @NCBearsBaseball Walks-Off Metro State

Friday, April 14

Greeley, Colo.

2:00 pm

University of Northern Colorado

14-17

Metro State

16-19

MSU Denver

Northern Colorado

Photo by: Rob Trubia

4/14/2017 7:19:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Northern Colorado baseball earned another walk-off win, this one 8-6 over Metro State

By: Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

GREELEY – It was another day of Jackson Magic for UNC baseball Friday afternoon as they walked off Metro State 8-6 on Alex Kiel's three-run home run. It was the first of a three-game series between the Bears and Roadrunners.

How It Happened
Metro State struck first with a two-out rally in the third. Trent Maloney brought home the first run with a single to center field. It was a 2-0 game after a wild pitch when the inning ended.

UNC made it a 2-1 game when Alex Kiel had a sacrifice fly that scored Brett Minnick.

It was another two-out rally for Metro, that extended the lead to 5-1 in the fifth. They capitalized on a couple doubles and a pair of Bears errors for the three runs in the inning. The score stayed that way until the eighth inning.

Jack Pauley hit his second home run of the week with a solo shot to leadoff the bottom of the inning. The next two batters in Brett Minnick and Matt Burkart reached for Northern Colorado with a double and triple, respectively. Burkart made it a one-run game when Alex Kiel hit his second sac fly of the game. The Roadrunners expanded its lead to 6-4 with a run in the top of the ninth.

Northern Colorado began the ninth with Evan Johnson and Cole Maltese walking. They ended up on second and third on a second wild pitch from the Roadrunners pitcher, Josh Moore. Once again a Bears run scored on a sacrifice fly, this one from Pauley, making it a one run game. After a Minnick strikeout, Burkhart extended the game working a full count walk. Alex Kiel ended the game on an 0-1 fastball that he put over the left center wall for a walk-off home run.

Game Change
Alex Kiel brought home five of the Bears eight runs in the game, including the game-winning, walk-off home run. The long ball was the first of Kiel's collegiate career, and first since his little league days according to him. For the day he finished 1-for-2 with a run scored and five RBI.

Notable
- It will go down as a no decision for Karver Pate, but his performance out of the pen was big for Northern Colorado Friday. He relieved starter Aaron Hamilton and went 3.2 strong innings allowing just one run on three hits, while striking out four. His ability to keep Metro State scoreless until the ninth was key in the team's comeback.
- The Bears continue to take advantage of productive outs this season, adding to its sacrifice fly total on the year with four. Three of them ended up scoring a run for the team.
- The trio of Jack Pauley, Brett Minnick and Matt Burkart each had two hits in the game. Only one of those six hits was a single.

Quotable
Carl Iwasaki
"If this is how we want to do this year, I'm fine with it, I'll drive the bus, fly the plane, skipper the boat it doesn't matter. I have this team's back no matter what, we have to win every way and never ever quit which we have been able to show this year. That was a great come back, it started just the way we would want it to and went from there. We are going to have to come back tomorrow and get the offense going earlier tomorrow than they did today if we want to pick up two more wins today."

"Karver Pate put up zeros for us today. He came in and stabilized the game on that end. I shook his hand after the game for his effort and letting our offense the chance to come back in the game."

Alex Kiel
"My mindset was just not to do too much. I was just looking to get a single and keep this game going and took some deep breaths to not try to overdo it. It felt great to see it go over the fence though. I haven't hit a home run in so long I couldn't remember what the feeling was like. I knew I hit it well, once I saw it went over the fence I just made sure I touched every base and didn't miss one on my way home to celebrate with my teammates."

Matt Burkart
"I just had belief in my teammates. We do a good job of stringing things together and just believing in the dude behind you is going to get it done."

Jack Pauley
"We always find a way in the late innings. I don't know what it is, but it just gets contagious and once one person gets it going we all get going. Winning the first game of the series is huge. Being down all game today, but coming out with the win is a confidence boost. We can be more relaxed tomorrow when we get down there and get the bats going right away."

What's Next?
The Bears and Roadrunners continue their series tomorrow when they play a doubleheader starting at noon down in Denver.