OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- The Minot State University baseball team used its staunch bullpen and timely hitting to hold off the University of Central Oklahoma 5-3 on the road Saturday.
The Beavers earn a much-needed win and improve to 2-3 overall as the bullpen tossed 5.0 innings and allowed one earned run with six strikeouts to close out the Bronchos.
Kellen Peat came through with a huge RBI single in the top of the 9th to put the Beavers in front by one run.
Drew Behling followed with an RBI double to give the Beavers the insurance runs needed to earn a 5-3 victory.
MSU scored five runs on eight hits and was solid defensively to back up its stellar pitching. UCO scored three runs on seven hits and kept it close with the Beavers until the ninth inning.
The Beavers struck first on the top of the third inning when
Jackson Pokorney launched his first home run of the year. A two-run blast to center field to push the visitors in front 2-0 through three innings.
Central Oklahoma tied the score when Ryan Harrel tripled down the right-field line to score Kameron Kilchrist and Brett Hopkins to tie the score 2-2 through four innings.
The game remained tied until the top of the ninth inning when Minot State got the bats going.
Jordan Williams singled to left to move
Kaiden Cardoso to second, and following a strikeout,
Kellen Peat singled to left to score Cardoso and give the Beavers a 3-2 lead.
Later in the ninth inning, Behling laced a double to the gap in right-center driving in Gallagher and Peat to give the Beavers a three-run cushion, 5-2.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Bronchos threatened with the bases loaded and scratched across a run on an infield single by Kaden Marshall to cut the Beavers' lead to two runs. That's as close as Oklahoma Central would get as
Blake Gallagher (S, 1) shut the door to earn his first save of the season and give the Beavers a 5-3 win to close non-conference play.
RJ Martinez earned a no-decision after tossing 4.0 innings and allowing two earned runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Jordan Chappell (W, 1-0) secured his first victory of the season after tossing 2.0 scoreless-innings, not allowing a hit, and fanning five batters.
Noah Myhre was solid out of the bullpen tossing 2.0-innings after a road trip where the depth of the Beavers pitching has been tested. Myhre allowed one hit and struck out two batters with one walk.
Behling and Pokorney led the Beavers with the bats. Pokorney's two-run home run was the only hit of the day for the sophomore and Behling knocked in a pair of runs with two hits including his second double of the season.
Jordan Williams got the game-winning rally going in the top of the ninth with his second hit of the game finishing 2-for-4.
After a couple of weeks off, the MSU Baseball team is back in action on Saturday, Mar. 20 with the NSIC opener at Sioux Falls. The first pitch of Game 1 is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and Game 2 is scheduled for a start time of 3:30 p.m.
