BASEBALL
UND 8,
Utah Valley 7
NEWARK, N.J. -- Jeff Campbell got out of two late-inning jams and went 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of runs to lead No. 5-seed UND past fourth-seeded Utah Valley 8-7 in the opening round of the Great West Conference tournament Tuesday morning at Riverfornt Stadium.
UND handed the three-time defending champion Wolverines their first loss in the tournament's history (12-1).
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"That's the way we've been doing things, winning late," UND coach Jeff Dodson said. "That was a total team win for us. Overall, our kids played tremendous. We had a great approach and had some big two-out knocks. We beat a great club."
Six different UND players notched multi-hit games, led by a 3-for 4 effort from nine-hole hitter Patrick Vandoorne. His two-run double in the second staked UND to an early 3-0 lead after he kept the at-bat alive with five straight foul balls with two strikes.
The Wolverines got a three-run homer in the fourth to tie the score, but UND immediately answered with a four-spot in the fifth inning to take the lead for good.
Although it never trailed in the game, UND (24-20-1) had to fend off several UVU (24-29) rallies to clinch the win. UVU trimmed a four-run deficit down to one with nobody out in the ninth before Campbell slammed the door for his first save of the season.
UND's four runs in that fifth inning were all unearned when a single and an error on the catcher would have provided the first out with a strikeout and a groundout to follow. Instead of being out of the inning, UND collected three straight two-out hits with an RBI single from Zack Trygstad, a two-strike double to right by Campbell and another run-scoring single by Tyler Follis.
Trailing 7-3, UVU picked up a pair in the seventh to chase UND starter Andrew Thome, who finished throwing 6.2 innings with five runs, four strikeouts and three walks to pick up his sixth win (6-5). UND got a big insurance run in the ninth with Daniel Lockhert stroking a bases-loaded single to left with two down.
It proved to be a big run. A leadoff double and a two-base error put runners in scoring position with nobody down. Stone Ramsey delivered them both home and later moved to second on a sacrifice bunt with one down. From there, Campbell induced a foul popup and got a swinging strikeout to end it.
The three through eight spots in the UND lineup each drove in a run with another two coming from Vandoorne. The sophomore had a team-high three hits while Jacob Threlkeld, Trygstad, Campbell and Lockhert each collected a pair.
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UND advances in the winner's bracket and will play No. 1 Northern Colorado at 11:15 a.m. today.
UND ATHLETICS
Champions Tour set
The UND athletics department, in partnership with the UND Alumni Association and Foundation, has announced tour dates for the 2013 UND Champions Golf Tour.
The 2013 tour will make stops in Park River, N.D., on June 6, Fargo/Oxbow, N.D., on June 17; Detroit Lakes, Minn., on July 17; Bismarck on Aug. 13 and Grand Forks on Aug. 27.
The proceeds raised by the UND Champions Golf Tour help fund UND athleticsscholarships. Last year, nearly 500 golfers took part in the event, raising approximately $23,000 -- enough to fund nearly two student-athlete scholarships.
To register a team for the UND Champions Tour golf scramble, go to www.undalumni.org/golf , or call (701) 777-2611 or 800-543-8764.
Individuals or businesses interested in sponsoring a hole, donating prizes for raffles and hole contests, or wishing to join a local planning committee can do so by contacting Champions Club associate director Katie Horob at (701) 777-4078, 800-543-8764 or KatieH@undfoundation.org .
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BRIEFLY
• Men's basketball: Travis Tuttle, a guard at UND from 1993-97, will be inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaching Association Hall of Fame as a player. Tuttle attended Argyle (Wis.) High School. The induction is Oct. 5.
