UNC shows fight but drops both Sunday matchups to SDSU

Saturday, February 27

Greeley, CO

University of Northern Colorado

2-4

South Dakota State University

4-2

South Dakota State

Northern Colorado

2/28/2021 4:37:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: By Thomas Hoffman, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado's brought its bats on Sunday, scoring 12 runs across its one and half games played but couldn't find a way past South Dakota State. The Jacks took both matchups and the series with it.

A thrilling three-run sixth inning saw the Bears tie it up just before darkness on Saturday night. In a game scheduled for seven innings, UNC forced it the full nine.

However, Northern Colorado almost ended everything in the eighth. With Shaydon Kubo standing just 90 feet away on third, the Bears ground into a costly double play.

South Dakota State utilized the international tiebreaker to its advantage for the second time in the series, stealing away the game, 6-3.

After sailing through the first inning, Sunday starter Joe Mazzetti let two runs slide on one hit a couple of free passes

T4 | 4⃣ strikeouts so far for Mazzetti‼️

UNC - 0 
SDSU - 2#BearsStrong #WACbsb pic.twitter.com/6JrASKre8B
— UNC Baseball (@UNC_BearsBSB) February 28, 2021

Two innings later, the Jacks added to its total, thanks to a three-run home run from Carson Max.

Northern Colorado wasn't going to go away quietly, though. After a sac fly from Josh Glen, Ben McKay stepped to the plate with two on and one out.

McKay dialed up a towering two-run bomb, his first of the season, over the left-field fence, drawing the Bears within two, 5-3.

B4 | A two-run HOME RUN‼️#BearsStrong #WACbsb pic.twitter.com/PadDjieIiC
— UNC Baseball (@UNC_BearsBSB) February 28, 2021

Six runs on four hits and an error let South Dakota State take command of the game in the sixth inning.

The Bears bit back with a two-RBI double from Carson Gross in the seventh and added a third run from a Cooper Rust single.

Aiden Leahy led the bottom of the eighth off with a solo shot to left and applied the pressure, loading the bases with two outs. Josh Glenn was unable to deliver, however, grounding into a fielder's choice to end the rally.

B8 | HOME RUN ‼️#BearsStrong #WACbsb pic.twitter.com/Gis87uWhjx
— UNC Baseball (@UNC_BearsBSB) February 28, 2021

SDSU added an insurance run in the ninth before UNC went back to work at the plate.

Head Coach Carl Iwasaki's boys gave a ninth-inning rally their best shot, scoring two from a Shaydon Kubo sac fly and a Johnny Graham single.

Northern Colorado's scoring run ultimately came to end, though, giving the Jacks both wins on Sunday.

Game Notes

Erica Ma made his Blue and Gold Debut
Fellow pitchers Billy Moreland, Quentin Parr made their first appearances in 2021.
Carson Gross' RBI double was his first hit as a Bear
Jacob Banister reached base safely and played two innings in right field in his debut.
Ben McKay and Aiden Leahy grabbed their first home runs of the season.

What's Ahead.

It'll be another future Summit League matchup for Northern Colorado next weekend as they play host to North Dakota State for a four-game series beginning Friday, March 3, at Noon MT.

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