Wolves Take Two of Three From Bulldogs

Posted on April 13, 2025 by - Sports

Aberdeen, SD (NSUWolves.com) [Day 1] – The Northern State University baseball team came out swinging in game one, battling their way to a thrilling 6-5 victory, but couldn’t maintain the momentum in game two, falling 11-0 to Minnesota Duluth. A standout third inning fueled the Wolves’ opening win, featuring a grand slam off the bat of Nick Friedges and a clutch, go-ahead RBI single from Dylan Soulek. However, in game two, UMD took advantage of costly mistakes and delivered in key moments to even the series. On the day, the Wolves tallied six runs on 14 hits but were hampered by four defensive errors.

THE QUICK DETAILS

Final Score Game 1: NSU 6, UMD 5

Final Score Game 2: NSU 0, MARY 11

Records: NSU 6-25 (NSIC 2-22) UMD 15-18 (NSIC 11-13)

HOW IT HAPPENED GAME 1

  • Minnesota Duluth kicked off game one with a run in the top of the first to take an early lead
  • After a scoreless second inning, Northern State tied it up with a single to left center by Jordan Hull, scoring Brennan Phillips
  • Nick Friedges launched a grand slam over the right field fence in the third inning, bringing in Hull, Jack Weidner, and Dylan Soulek to make it 5-1
  • The Bulldogs responded with four runs in the sixth inning to tie the game
  • In the bottom of the sixth, Soulek found a hole in the left side for a single that scored Nicholas Ochoa, giving the Wolves the lead for good
  • Braxton Kusler pitched 5.1 innings and recorded four strikeouts in 24 at-bats
  • Drew Burkholder earned the win, pitching 1.2 innings in relief
  • The Wolves tallied six runs on nine hits with one error in game one

 

NORTHERN STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

  • Dylan Soulek: 3-for-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 double, 2 stolen bases
  • Nick Friedges: 2-for-3, 4 RBIs, 1 run, 1 homerun
  • Brennan Phillips: 1-for-4, 1 run
  • Jordan Hull: 1-for-3, 1 run, 1 RBI
  • Drew Benson: 1.2 IP, Win

 

HOW IT HAPPENED GAME 2

  • Minnesota Duluth opened game two with a run in the top of the first
  • Nicholas Ochoa singled in the third inning but was left stranded
  • The Bulldogs extended their lead with four runs over the fourth and fifth innings
  • UMD added four more runs in the sixth to lead 9-0
  • Two additional runs in the top of the seventh sealed the win for UMD
  • Northern State started the seventh with back-to-back singles from Dillon Castellanos and Nick Friedges, but both were stranded
  • Hunter Brown took the loss, pitching 4.0 innings with three strikeouts
  • The Wolves totaled five hits and committed three errors in game two

 

NORTHERN STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

  • Brennan Phillips: 1-for-3, 1 stolen base
  • Dillon Castellanos: 1-for-3
  • Nick Friedges: 1-for-3
  • Hunter Brown: 4.0 IP, 3 Strikeouts

_______________

Aberdeen, SD (NSUWolvesom) [Day 2] – The Northern State University baseball team powered their way to a 15-4 win over Minnesota Duluth in the series finale. The Wolves came out hot at the plate, launching six home runs and seizing control early. Dillon Castellanos and Drew Benson headlined the offensive explosion, each blasting two homers and driving in four or more runs. On the mound, Lance Behrens delivered a strong outing, earning the win in 6.0 innings of work.

THE QUICK DETAILS

Final Score: NSU 15, UMD 4

Records: NSU 7-25 (NSIC 3-22) UMD 15-19 (NSIC 11-14)

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Minnesota Duluth started the game with a home run in the top of the first to take the lead
  • Northern State responded with a home run by Dillon Castellanos that brought in Brennan Phillips to take the lead in the bottom of the first
  • After a scoreless second inning, Drew Benson kept it rolling with a home run over the left field fence, scoring Nick Friedges to extend the lead to three
  • In the fourth inning, Castellanos launched his second home run of the game over the right-center fence, scoring Phillips
  • Drew Benson followed up with a solo home run over the center field fence to push the lead to 7-1 by the end of the fourth
  • The Wolves extended their lead in the fifth after a single through the left side by Benson, scoring Phillips and AJ Mendez
  • Dylan Soulek added to the momentum with a single down the right field line, scoring Benson and Friedges to take a 10-run lead
  • In the sixth inning, Casey Vining drove the ball over the left field fence for a solo home run
  • The Bulldogs chipped away at the deficit with three runs in the top of the seventh
  • Lance Behrens earned the win with 6.0 innings pitched and two strikeouts
  • NSU tallied 15 runs off 13 hits with one error in the series finale

NORTHERN STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

  • Drew Benson: 4-for-4, 5 RBIs, 3 runs, 2 homeruns, 1 walk
  • Dylan Soulek: 3-for-5, 2 RBIs
  • Dillon Castellanos: 2-for-3, 4 RBIs, 3 runs, 2 homeruns, 2 walks
  • Nick Friedges: 1-for-4, 3 RBIs, 3 runs, 1 homerun
  • Casey Vining: 1-for-1, 1 homerun
  • Lance Behrens: 6.0 IP, Win, 2 strikeouts

 

UP NEXT

Northern State is back at Fossum Field for a two-game series against Southwest Minnesota State. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m., with game two following at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15, against the Mustangs.

← Back to Sports News