MINOT, N.D. (Feb. 21, 2015) – Opening Day is always a special day for baseball teams around the country, but unfortunately for the Minot State University baseball team, its first day of games didn't go as planned.
 
The Beavers played their first two games of the season Saturday afternoon in St. George, Utah, falling in each game despite having a chance late in both.
 
In the first game of the day, Minot State found itself on the wrong end of things in a 7-6 extra inning thriller against Montana State Billings. After falling behind 2-0 through the first two innings, Keith Ailes (Jr., OF/1B, Bozeman, Mont.) got the Beavers on the board with a solo home run. The home run was the Beavers' first hit of the game.
 
While Billings got a run back in the 5th inning to extend its lead to 3-1, Minot State's Austin Berntson (Jr., OF/P, Minot, N.D.) hit the Beavers' second long ball of the game, this time a two-run shot, to tie the game at three.
 
Jordan Schulz (So., OF, Strasbourg, Saskatchewan) provided the power the following inning giving Minot State its first lead of the day with a two-run triple. After tacking on an insurance run in the top of the ninth bringing the score to 6-4, Minot State was just three outs away from winning its opening game of the season.
 
Billings didn't go away quietly, though. An RBI double cut the lead to just one and a fielding error allowed the tying run to cross the plate in the bottom of the ninth.
 
Following a bases loaded threat with two outs in the top of the 10th from the Beavers, Billings ended the game in the bottom of the inning with a walk-off single up the middle.

"The first game I thought we competed," said Minot State head baseball coach Brock Weppler. "We swung it pretty well for our first time out. Zorn on the bump made some adjustments—didn't have his best stuff—but got better as the game went on. It was a little rough defensively but first time out you're going to expect some of that."

Despite recording a quality start for Minot State, Austin Zorn (Sr., P, Bismarck, N.D.) was credited with a no-decision in the loss. He ended his day pitching 6.0 innings, giving up two earned runs on nine hits and recording two strikeouts.

Bernston led the way offensively going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Kyle Williamson (Fr., OF, Aurora, Ore.) and Nicholas Hammerl (Sr., 2B/SS, West Peoria, Ill.) each ended the game with two hits while seven other Beavers recorded base-hits in the game.

Following a brief break the Beavers took the field again, this time squaring off against Dixie State in a game with a drastically different dynamic.

After recording 14 hits in the game against MSU Billings, Minot State was held to just five hits in a 9-0 loss to the Red Storm.

Despite the lopsided score, Minot State was in the game until Dixie State got to the Beavers' bullpen in the seventh and eighth innings.

Berntson, who started the game for Minot State, tossed six innings of three-hit ball giving the Beavers a shot down the stretch.

"I thought Bernie on the mound in that second game was outstanding," Weppler said. "He had very good stuff—he attacked the zone, got ahead in the count and kept them off balance. He did what he does best and that was very, very good to see."

But, Kolton Brost and Tanner Howell of Dixie State proved to be too much for Minot State as the duo combined to pitch nine shutout innings with eight strikeouts.

Five different Beavers collected hits in the game. Paul Vogelsang's (So., C, Regina, Saskatchewan) double was the Beavers' lone extra-base hit.

"I think on the bright side of things, we had a lot of new guys getting their feet wet—whether it be their first career hits or first career innings pitched, whatever it may be. We had a lot of guys get some of those jitters out of the way, so I think that's obviously a good thing," Weppler said. "We saw a lot of good things today and we're going to be able to take a lot from the two games today."

With the losses, Minot State drops to 0-2 on the season, but they'll get back at it tomorrow with two more games against MSU-Billings.

Tomorrow's first pitch is schedule for 11 a.m.