Box score

NEWARK, NJ—Visiting North Dakota scored four times in the first inning and never looked back, defeating NJIT, 10-1, Thursday afternoon in the first of a scheduled four-game Great West Conference baseball series between the schools at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.

Thursday's win lifted North Dakota to 12-13 in Great West play and put the Fighting Sioux beyond the reach of both NJIT and Texas-Pan American in the race for fifth place in the conference standings.

NJIT and UTPA both entered the final weekend of the regular season with an outside chance of catching North Dakota, but it could have happened only if the Highlanders won all four games vs. UND.  NJIT is 7-17 in the Great West.

The winning pitcher for North Dakota was the starter, sophomore RHP Zac Salfer, who pitched eight innings and scattered seven hits, allowing the one run, with no walks and one strikeout. He is 4-6 on the season. Scott Eul finished up, allowing one hit in a scoreless ninth inning.

The losing pitcher was the first of four NJIT hurlers, junior LHP Bobby Wyrwa (2-8). He pitched six innings and allowed seven runs on seven hits, with three walks, three strikeouts, and five hit-by-pitch.

Each of the relievers pitched one inning. John Gray allowed two runs in the seventh inning; Frank Shivers allowed one run in the eighth; and, John Prestano blanked the Fighting Sioux in the ninth, picking up two strikeouts.

Things started downhill quickly for the Highlanders when the first batter of the game, North Dakota CF Josh Lagein, hit a home run over the left field fence on the fifth offering from Wyrwa. Lagein would have a fine day, going 2-for-3, with three runs batted in and two runs scored.

Lagein's homer would be the only hit of the first inning, but the Fighting Sioux picked up three more runs, thanks to a combination of some productive outs, a walk, three hit batsmen, and a wild pitch.

Wyrwa settled down tp put zeros on the board in the second and third inning before allowing three runs on two hits in the fourth inning. Josh Ray had a run-scoring single and Josh Nelson hit a two-run double for North Dakota's three runs.

North Dakota's Lagein added two more RBI with a double in the seventh inning and Kris Kwak, the second designated hitter of the game, hit a sacrifice fly for his team's run in the eighth inning.

Lagein, Ray, Nelson, and Ridge Halenar all finished the game with two hits apiece for the Fighting Sioux.

NJIT, with eight hits, was paced in that category by 1B Teddy Bickert, who was 2-for-3.

The Highlanders picked up their lone run of the day in the bottom of the fourth inning. Matt Petrone led off with a drag bunt single and after an out, James D'Aloia doubled ahead of a sacrifice fly from Bryan Bleakley that brought home Petrone from third base.

North Dakota and NJIT are scheduled to meet again on Friday in a doubleheader beginning at 10 am on Friday at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.