In an exciting game during the Fayetteville Regional, North Dakota State secured a narrow 4-3 victory over Kansas on Saturday. Aided by Colten Becker’s exemplary performance, including two hits and an RBI, the team pushed past their opponent. Becker also demonstrated defensive prowess with a remarkable catch in the seventh inning. The star performances of Logan Knight and Danny Lachenmayer, who together conceded only five hits, were instrumental in NDSU’s success.
North Dakota State, with a season record of 21-33, is making their third appearance in the NCAA Division I Tournament. They will face off against the loser of the Arkansas-Creighton match in a crucial elimination game scheduled for Sunday. As for Kansas, their season comes to an end with a commendable record of 43-17, representing the second-highest win total in the program’s history since the last regional appearance in 2014.
The game began with North Dakota State taking an early lead by scoring two runs in the first inning, both happening with two outs. Davis Hamilton managed to cross home plate from first base following a spectacular double and fielding blunder by Kansas. This was complemented by an RBI single from Becker, further consolidating NDSU’s position.
Kansas evened the score to 2-2 in the fourth inning, thanks to a powerful home run from Jackson Hauge – his 20th of the season and just one shy of the program’s record. Hauge’s 70 RBIs for this season mark the fourth-highest tally in the school’s history.
In response, NDSU’s designed hitter, Blake Timmons, pushed them back into the lead during the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single. Freshman Evan Gustafson further extended the lead in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly deep into the warning track, establishing a 4-2 advantage.
Logan Knight delivered a consistent performance as the starting pitcher, allowing three runs, of which only two were earned, over 6 1/3 innings, earning him a record of 5-6 for the season. Danny Lachenmayer came in as relief and secured his ninth save of the campaign by striking out three batters. Cooper Moore, from the Kansas side, was held accountable for all four of NDSU’s earned runs over his five-inning stint, bringing his season record to 7-3.