UND baseball coach Jeff Dodson was asked to rank his team's top candidates for an inside-the-park home run and where first baseman Jeff Campbell would rank.
His half-joking response: "How many guys we have on our club?"
Campbell might not be a speedster, but he seems to have a flair for the dramatic.
The sophomore slugger came up with his third game-winning hit of the current homestand -- a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning -- to give UND a 5-4 victory over Great West Conference foe Chicago State on Friday at Kraft Field.
With one out and UND trailing 4-2 in the eighth, Ryan Reese and Taylor Petersen were hit by pitches. With a full count to Campbell, the right-hander ripped a Jerry Silva offering to left center.
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Chicago State centerfielder Nathan Poff fell down in his attempt to catch the fly near the fence. That forced left fielder Joelh Calixto to make the long run to track down the ball.
Reese and Petersen scored easily, while Campbell came sliding in before the relay.
"He was hustling the whole way; I'll give him credit for that," Dodson said.
Campbell provided almost the entire offense for UND, going 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBIs. He also had a solo homer in the second inning.
"Jeff came through in the clutch," Dodson said. "He's swinging the bat a lot better."
UND, which is 21-19-1 overall, is 8-2 at Kraft Field (all since May 3). Campbell is a big reason for that.
He hit a three-run homer to ignite a 6-5 victory against Texas-Pan American on May 3 and a game-winning single in a 4-3 win against South Dakota State on May 7.
"I'm starting to relax," Campbell said.
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It wasn't easy to relax at Kraft Field on Friday. There was steady rain from the first inning to the ninth, but the teams played through the weather with the artificial turf on the infield able to soak up the water.
"It was a nasty day for both teams," Dodson said. "You don't know what to expect in conditions like this. We weren't good early, but we took advantage of mistakes late."
Chicago State dropped to 7-41 overall and 4-21 in the Great West.
The conference tournament begins Tuesday in New Ark, N.J. With the quick turnaround, Dodson kept UND starter Andrew Thome to a strict pitch count.
Thome went 5Zc innings and allowed four hits and two earned runs on 67 pitches. He gave way to reliever Brock Johnson, who was credited with one out and two runs (one earned).
Reid Jungling, a former Mandan standout, threw the final 3Zc innings of no-hit baseball.
"I thought Reid was the star of the game," Dodson said.
The teams continue their four-game series with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. today.
