North Dakota Tops Chicago State Baseball 7-1 In 10 Innings

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CHICAGO – A six-run 10^th inning lifted North Dakota to a 7-1 Western Athletic Conference victory over Chicago State baseball on Saturday (April 19) afternoon at Cougar Stadium.
 
North Dakota scored their only run of the first nine innings in the second. Chicago State starting pitcher junior Ean McNeal (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier) walked Jacob Threlkeld with the bases loaded to force in a run. It would be McNeal's only blemish of the day. He allowed just the one run on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts over 8.1 innings.
 
His counterpart, North Dakota starter Zach Muckenhirn, kept the Cougars off balance for most of the day. The Cougars only hit until the ninth inning was a fifth inning single to center field by junior Julian Russell (Chicago, Ill./Gordon Tech).
 
In the ninth, junior Jordan Stroschein (Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar) knocked a 3-2 pitch to right field for a leadoff single. Three pitches later, freshman Sanford Hunt (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood) lined a ball to the right field corner. Stroschein scored easily from first base. Hunt motored toward third base but the North Dakota relay throw was just in time to tag Hunt out at third.
 
"Sanford got the big hit and when you're not scoring runs you're going to try to push the action trying to get that runner to third," Chicago State head coach Steve Joslyn said.
 
Hunt's double was enough to tie the score but it would be all the offense for the Cougars on the day. North Dakota scored six runs in the 10^th inning to clinch the game.
 
The Cougars' best chance to score before the ninth came in the fifth. CSU loaded the bases with one out but the threat was extinguished after junior Jared Patterson (Ventura, Calif./Buena) grounded into a double play. However it was Patterson with a run saving play in the top half of the same inning. With a runner on second he chased down a deep fly ball to center field to end the inning. It was one of two impressive defensive plays for Patterson in the game.
 
"Our defense was really good again today," Joslyn said. "We had some outstanding plays from Jared and Matt (Schmidt). Those plays gave us a chance and kept us in the game."
 
Junior Jerry Silva (Chicago, Ill./Holy Trinity) took the loss in relief. He is now 2-1. He allowed four runs, one hit and four walks over 1.0 inning. Muckenhirn went 9.1 innings and allowed just the single run in the ninth. The Cougars worked six walks against Muckenhirn and five hits. Muckenhirn is now 2-2.  
 
"Our pitcher (McNeal) was very good but their pitcher was a little better," Joslyn said. "He (Muckenhirn) kept us off balance."
 
Chicago State falls to 11-24 (1-10 WAC). North Dakota improves to 7-17 (7-4 WAC). North Dakota and Chicago State close out the three-game WAC series on Sunday with a 1 p.m. start at Cougar Stadium.