University of Northern Colorado Athletics
University of Northern Colorado
3-22, 3-4
South Dakota State
11-13, 4-2
Bears Turn Close Contest into a Rout Late
3/28/2024 8:39:00 PM | Baseball
A tightly contested game through the first five games turned into a Bears' blowout, with Austin Bunn leading the power surge over the final three frames, with two home runs. The Bears blasted six longballs in the game – all without two outs and five with men on base.
Trailing 4-2 after five innings, UNC bombarded the Jackrabbits – which entered the weekend tied atop the Summit League standings - with 16 runs and five home runs. The Bears tallied six runs in the sixth, two in the seventh and nine in the eighth.
Bunn tallied two of his six runs-batted in with a single up the middle in the sixth, knotting the score at 4-4. The Bears loaded the bases with three straight singles from Kai Wagner, Garrett Fisher and Carson Gross to open the frame. Gross crossed the plate on an error by South Dakota State, pushing the Bears in front for good at 5-4. Brandon Sanchez launched his second home run in the last week on the first pitch he saw, a three-run shot that upped the advantage to 8-4.
After a shutdown inning by the Bears' pitching staff, Fisher doubled to right center with one out. Bunn delivered a two-run homer over the left-field barrier. In the home half of the frame, the Jackrabbits sliced the deficit to 10-7 with three solo home runs.
UNC capitalized on an error by South Dakota State, with two outs and two on in the eighth, which opened the floodgates. A wild throw on a ground ball allowed Pease and Zinicola to score and Kai Wagner to reach and continued the inning.
Fisher delivered the first of three home runs, a two-run shot to left. Gross followed with a single and scored on Bunn's second dinger of the game. Jackson Romero extended the frame when he reached on a 0-2 hit-by-pitch. Pease walked and Zinicola plated all three with his first-career home run, recording the second run of the frame for Pease and Zinicola each.
With two outs and no one on base in the opening frame, Caden Wagner launched his first homer of the season over the left field wall for the early advantage. The Jackrabbits responded with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first.
Pease evened the contest at 2-all with a two-out RBI single in the Bears' next at-bat.
South Dakota State opened a two-run advantage with solo markers in the third and fifth innings.
Up Next
The Bears and Jackrabbits complete the series with a doubleheader Friday, beginning at noon, with the nightcap beginning 30-40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bright, Mason (1-1)
L: Hawkins (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Fisher, Garrett 1
HR: Zinicola, Zain 1 ; Sanchez, Brandon 1 ; Wagner, Caden 1 ; Fisher, Garrett 1 ; Bunn, Austin 2
RBI: Zinicola, Zain 3 ; Sanchez, Brandon 3 ; Wagner, Caden 1 ; Fisher, Garrett 2 ; Bunn, Austin 6 ; Pease, Sam 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Zinicola, Zain 3 ; Sanchez, Brandon 1 ; Wagner, Caden 1 ; Wagner, Kai 2 ; Fisher, Garrett 4 ; Gross, Carson 2 ; Bunn, Austin 3 ; Romero, Jackson 1 ; Pease, Sam 2
CS: Sanchez, Brandon 1
HBP: Romero, Jackson 1
Batting:
2B: Stuff 1 ; Luskey 1
HR: Ronken 1 ; Frost 1 ; Parry 2 ; Sagedahl 1
RBI: Anderson 1 ; Ronken 1 ; Frost 1 ; Parry 3 ; Sagedahl 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ronken 2 ; Frost 1 ; Parry 2 ; Sagedahl 2
SB: Ronken 1 ; Sagedahl 1
CS: Anderson 1
HBP: Ronken 1 ; Carr 1
