Recap: @NCBearsBaseball Punches Ticket to WAC Tournament

Saturday, May 12

Greeley, Colo.

2 p.m.

University of Northern Colorado

28-21, 11-12

CSU Bakersfield

17-32, 7-13

CSU Bakersfield

Northern Colorado

5/12/2018 7:58:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Northern Colorado baseball punched its ticket to WAC Tournament with 4-2 win on Saturady

By: By Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado baseball punched its ticket to Mesa, Arizona on Saturday with a 4-2 win over CSU Bakersfield and Utah Valley dropping the first game of its doubleheader to Seattle. The win not only sends the Bears to Mesa but locks them into the No. 5 seed in two weeks. Senior pitcher Connor Leedholm broke both the program single-season and career saves record with his 11th of the year 13th overall.

How It Happened
UNC starter Keenan Lum strikeout the first batter he faced on Saturday before giving up a walk and single down the right field line to put runners on the corners. A groundout by CSUB designated hitter Ryan Koch brought home the first run of the game.

Just like Friday's opener, Northern Colorado responded with a two-out run in the bottom half of the first. Andrew Miller and Dean Lawson each reached with a single and walk, respectively. A double play looked to have ended the Bears threat but left Miller on third base with Jack Pauley up. Pauley came through as he singled to right plating Miller and evening the game at one.

Northern Colorado got back into the long ball business in the second inning when Brett Minnick unleashed a bomb over the left-center wall to put the team up 2-1. The home run was Minnick's eighth of the season.

Bakersfield evened the game at two with a two-out single and double to score a run. It would be the last time a Roadrunner would cross the plate for the game. Lum retired five straight in the fifth through the seventh inning and then Corey Nakakura and Leedholm went three up, three down in the eighth and ninth.

While the UNC pitch staff shut down CSU Bakersfield, the Bears bats kept their pop in it. Brett Minnick singled through the left side in the bottom of the fourth to score Evan Johnson. Johnson started the two-out rally and Alex Kiel extended it with a single to right before Minnick made it three straight hits for the team.

Jack Pauley set the team's fifth home run of the series over the fence with an opposite-field home run to left field. The solo home run led off the sixth inning making it a 4-2 ball game.

Leedholm earned his historic save with a 1-2-3 ninth, polished off with a strikeout swinging to send the Bears and their fans home happy.

Game Changer
Keenan Lum made his final start on the mound at Jackson Field Saturday afternoon and did not disappoint. He pitched 7.0 innings allowing two runs, both earned, on eight hits while walking one and striking out one.

Stat to Know
It is Alumni Weekend for UNC baseball and Connor Leedholm put his name at the top of the UNC record book on Sunday when he recorded his 11th save of the year and 13th of his career to end the game. Leedholm passed Kevin Willman (2013) for the single-season mark and Brennan Garr (2004-06).

Game Notes
- Jack Pauley and Brett Minnick led UNC with two hits a piece on Saturday. Each also had two RBI and a run scored.
- Northern Colorado is locked into the No. 5 seed in the WAC Tournament over May 23-28. The Bears first game of the tournament will be at 4 pm MT.

What's Ahead?
Northern Colorado closes out its 2018 home schedule on Sunday with Senior Day. The Bears will honor its 14 seniors and look for their second straight sweep with a 12 pm MT first pitch against CSU Bakersfield. The game will be streamed on Pluto TV.

To stay up to date on all things UNC baseball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Twitter at @NCBearsBaseball.