NDSU Wins Game One 4-2; Double Header Saturday

Anthony Hayes

CHARLESTON, S.C. – A solid outing by Jake Laber led North Dakota State (1-0) past Charleston Southern (7-7), 4-2, Friday night in the first of four games between the two teams. Games two and three will be played Saturday at Buccaneer field, with the double header starting at 11 a..m.

Brandon Roberts would pitch well, going 8.2 innings, striking out four, but took the loss for CSU after surrendering four runs, three earned, on seven hits. Freshman Will Rodriguez and senior Anthony Hayes each had a pair of hits, with Hays going two-for-two with one run and one RBI.

With the loss, the Buccaneers are 1-4 when scoring fewer than five runs.

The Bucs took the lead in the second as Will Rodriguez knocked a single into right field. He would get to second on a wild pitch, and come around to score on an RBI double by Anthony Hayes. A balk would move Hayes to third, and he would add the Bucs’ second run on a sacrifice fly by Chris Krogmeier.

The lead would be short-lived, though, as North Dakota State came right back, tying the game in the third thanks to a pair of singles, and an error. The Bison would take a 3-2 lead in the fifth as Roberts gave up just one hit, but it was a homerun to right center. A lead-off double would turn into another run for NDSU in the seventh.

Charleston Southern would threaten in the bottom of the ninth, getting runners on first and second, but a double-play ended the game, giving North Dakota State a victory in their season opener.