Box score

GRAND FORKS, ND—North Dakota exploded for 14 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, blowing open what had been a reasonably close game, on the way to a 25-5 win over visiting NJIT in a matchup shortened to seven innings by the Great West Conference 10-run rule Friday afternoon in the opener of a weekend conference series at Kraft Memorial Field.
 
The resurgent home team, which was 12-35 overall two years ago and 19-37 last season, reached the .500 mark overall for 2013 at 18-18-1 with Friday's blowout win. UND is 8-3 in its last 11 games, including 7-3 in its last 10 Great West Conference games. Last weekend, the North Dakota took three-of-four from conference-leading Texas-Pan American. Friday's win also inched North Dakota ahead of NJIT for sixth place in the conference standings. UND is 8-9 in GWC play, half a game ahead of 9-11 NJIT. The Highlanders are 17-27 overall.
 
The Great West Conference run rule comes into play whenever a team has a lead of at least 10 runs and the team that trails has made at least 21 outs.
 
NJIT actually led early, scoring a run in the top of the first inning, and the advantage held up until the bottom of the second when North Dakota scored twice. UND added two more runs in the third for a 4-1 lead before sending 19 men to the plate in scoring 14 times in the bottom of the fourth inning.
 
North Dakota added six more runs in the fifth inning, four coming in on the first home run of the year for freshman 2B Daniel Lockhert, who came in with four runs batted in 46 at-bats all season, but who drove in a school-record 10 runs in a 5-for-6 game on Friday. North Dakota then added a run in the sixth before the conference mercy rule took effect after the top of the seventh.
 
UND piled 17 hits, 12 bases-on-balls, five hit-by-pitch and three NJIT errors. With Lockhert's home run and two doubles leading the way, North Dakota also got doubles from LF Sam Alt and Patrick Riewer, who entered the game on defense in the top of the sixth inning and doubled in the bottom half. With Riewer's double, 10 different North Dakota players got hits. Riewer replaced UND cleanup hitter Zack Trygstad, who was hitless in three official at-bats, but managed to score a game-high five runs and drive in two more.
 
In addition to Lockhert's record-setting 10 RBI on 5-for-6 hitting, North Dakota got 3-for-3 with three walks from its leadoff man, SS Kris Kwak. Although 10 different players got hits, only Lockhert, Kwak, and DH Ryan Reese (2-for-5) got more than one hit. 1B Jeff Campbell (1-for-4) followed Lockhert's 10 RBI with four runs batted in of his own. And five different UND players scored at least three runs each.
 
The win went to North Dakota's sophomore RHP Andrew Thome (5-5), who spent nearly 40 minutes in the dugout during the 14-run fourth inning. He came out and pitched the fifth inning to qualify for the victory and finished with six hits allowed, two runs, one strikeout and no walks. He was followed to the mound by lefties Trent Egan, a sophomore, and Pete Gagne, a senior, who combined to allow three runs over the last two innings.
 
The loss went to NJIT senior RHP Mark Leiter, Jr. (5-7), who pitched the first three innings and allowed four runs on two hits. Leiter, who had pinpoint control a week earlier, when he struck out a 2013 national Division I-high 20 and walked just two against Chicago State, walked six and hit a batter in his three innings that also included two strikeouts vs. UND.
 
The roof caved in on the NJIT pitching after Leiter left, with the first two relievers credited with getting one out, but allowing 12 runs (10 earned). Of the four NJIT relievers on Friday, only junior RHP Frank Shivers, who allowed a run on two hits in pitching the final inning, avoided a nightmarish stat line.
 
The Highlanders, who had a respectable 10 hits, including four doubles, got two hits apiece from LF Teddy Bickert (2-for-3, double, walk, 2 runs, RBI); 1B Tom Bouck (2-for-3, double, 2 runs); and DH Stephan Halibej (2-for-4, double, RBI). The other NJIT double came from RF Tyler Kapp (1-for-3).
 
NJIT had a productive first inning, when it got three hits and took its short-lived lead. Bickert hit a single leading off, stole second, and went to third on a sacrifice bunt. He then scored on a single up the middle by CF Ed Charlton (1-for-4). Bouck singled after that, but the Highlanders stranded two runners.
 
Trailing 1-0, UND used a hit and four walks, including two with the bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning to take the lead for good, 2-1. A two-out, two-run double by Lockhert made it 4-1 through three and North Dakota removed all doubt about the outcome with its combined 20 runs between the fourth and fifth innings.
 
NJIT scored once in the fifth inning, once in the sixth, and twice in the seventh before the GWC run rule went into effect. Bickert doubled home the fifth inning run; 2B Jeff Peterson (1-for-4) singled home the run in the fifth inning; and, Halibej and 3B Matt Weckerle (1-for-3) hit run-scoring singles in the seventh.
 
The two teams are scheduled for two games on Saturday, a seven-inning first game and a nine-inning nightcap. First pitch is slated for noon (CDT).