SIOUX FALLS – For the first time in his career, sophomore shortstop Grant Lung hit a pair of three-run home runs to lead the University of Sioux Falls Baseball Team (9-24, 7-13 NSIC) to a 7-4 win in game two and a split of a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader with Minnesota Duluth (8-20, 6-12) on Tuesday on an overcast but mid 50 degree day at the Birdcage. 

USF, which fell to UMD, 12-3, in game one, improved to 7-13 (.350) in league play and sit 11th in the league standings and just ahead of UMD at 6-12 (.333). Overall USF, which is scheduled to play at Wayne State in a three-game set on April 13-14, is now 9-24 on the season and winners in five of the past seven games.

Lung, who is hitting .283 on the season with a team-high 27 RBI, finished the day with three hits in six at bats with two runs scored and two stolen bases. With his two home runs, he has three on the season. For the first time at USF, he had two home runs in a game and set his career-best with six RBIs in the game two victory. As a team, USF hit .270 in the doubleheader with 17 hits in 63 at bats. Connor King also had three hits and two runs scored while Brennan Gabriel, Ryan Bernardy and Josh Rehwaldt also collected a pair of hits for USF which slugged .413 as a team.

G1 – Minnesota Duluth 12 Sioux Falls 3 (7 innings)
In the opener, UMD scored five runs in the second, added two more in the third frame and four in the fourth inning to overcome an early 3-1 deficit and pick up 12-3 win. The Bulldogs stopped USF's two-game winning streak.

USF starter Matt Graham (2-2) took his second loss of the season as he worked two innings and allowed six hits and seven runs, although just three of the tallies were earned. Graham, who threw 34 pitches to 13 hitters, had two strikeouts and a walk. Also working on the hill for USF was Jacob Emerson (one inning, five hits, and three earned runs), Sean Nussbaum (one inning, one hit, one run, and strikeout) and Jackson Olson (two innings, hit, three strikeouts).

Nick Drofman (2-1) earned the win for UMD as he allowed just five hits and three runs with seven strikeouts.

The Cougars had five hits, including a home run for Alex Robinson, who hit his second home in two games. Robinson, who now has four long balls on the season, hit the first pitch of the second inning over the left field wall as USF tied the game at 1-1. USF built a 3-1 lead after Sam Michels and Nash Dalzell scored in the second frame following Robinson's mammoth home run over the left field fence. Michels, who singled and stole two bases, came home on RBI infield single by sophomore Ryan Meyer. Dalzell, who had a stolen base, scored ahead of UMD tagging out Meyer on a steal attempt.

After that UMD took control with a five-spot in the bottom of the second inning and never trailed again. UMD's offense was led by Drew Stewart with four hits, including a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. Cory Krolikowski had two hits and three RBI while Anders Brown added two base hits and two RBI with Totsen Mann also collecting two hits.
 
G2 – Sioux Falls 7 Minnesota Duluth 4
Grant Lung provided the offense with a pair of three-run home runs and the Cougars had solid pitching from starter Payton Livingston and relievers Christian Lazar, Brandon Roesler and Mitchell Lyall to pick up their seventh league win of the season in a 7-4 decision in the second game of an NSIC doubleheader with Minnesota Duluth.

Livingston had his second straight strong start for USF by going 4 1/3 innings and allowing six hits and two runs as he threw 71 pitches. With the bases loaded in the fifth inning, Christian Lazar worked out of a jam to retire two straight hitters without allowing a run. Lazar (3-1), earned his third win of the season by throwing 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. He gave up just three hits and recorded six strikeouts of the 11 batters he faced and with just 38 pitches. Lazar, who lowered his season earned run average to 3.12, now has 29 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings with just four walks.

Brandon Roesler worked one inning of scoreless relief as he threw just 12 pitches and retired three of the four batters he faced. In the ninth inning, USF turned the game over to Mitchell Lyall, who faced six batters and allowed two unearned runs as a result of three USF errors. Lyall, who allowed just one hit to UMD, maintained his perfect 0.00 earned run average in his 11^th appearance this year.

UMD starter Wyatt O'Bey (0-2) took the loss as he allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits in 2 1/3 innings. The Bulldogs used seven other pitchers in the game.

On offense, USF was led by Lung with his two homers and six RBI. Connor King had two hits and two runs scored while Rehwaldt added two hits and two runs scored. Ryan Bernardy and Brennan Gabriel also collected two base knocks.

In the top of the first inning, Connor King walked and Josh Rehwaldt reached on an error which was followed by Lung's first home run, which was a massive shot over the left field fence. UMD was able to score a run in the first and second innings and trim USF's lead to 3-2. In the fourth inning, King and Rehwaldt singled and Lung again had a three-run home run. After hitting his first career home run on Monday in a 20-2 win over Bemidji State, Lung now has three on the season and in his career.

USF added to their lead in the seventh inning as Brennan Gabriel singled and scored on a three-base error by UMD, which mishandled Roy Nielsen IV's bunt in front of home plate.

UMD finished off the scoring with two unearned runs in the ninth inning as USF committed three errors.