Comets stun Bison in 10

The Bison played their final tune-up game before conference play, Wednesday against NAIA opponent Mayville State. A dumbfounded crowd wandered out of chilly Newman Field three hours later after witnessing the Bison fall to the Comets, 6-5 in 10 innings.

The Comets came out with a lot of energy Wednesday night, starting the scoring in the top of the second. NDSU responded in the bottom half after Blake Turbak cleared the bases with an RBI single scoring two.

Mayville State came back to tie the game in the fifth with a Dillon Lundin, bases-load single against Bison reliever Jake Heck. NDSU seemed poised to respond in the bottom half of the inning with runners on first and second when second baseman, Wes Satzinger, stung a fastball in the left-center gap, only to be caught by diving Brad Ferraro. Later it turned out to be the second biggest play for the Comet centerfielder.

Down 4-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, the Bison were sparked by a lead-off double by Satzinger, who went three for four with a pair of walks. He was followed by a walk of Nick Anderson and a sacrifice bunt by Michael Leach, moving the runners to second and third.

Pinch-hitter Nick Altavilla delivered on the first pitch with a rocket into the gap scoring Satzinger and Anderson, tying the game at four apiece. After a walk of Max Casper and a fly-out by Tim Colwell, brother, Nick walked to the plate with runners on first and second with two out. The Newman crowd roared in delight as Nick singled to center only to fall into dead silence as pinch runner, John Skrbec was thrown out at the plate by a strike thrown from centerfielder, Brad Ferraro.

In the top half of the tenth the Comets rallied for two runs on back-to-back RBI singles by Zachary Mihic and Phillip Steer off the Bison’s seventh pitcher of the night, Kyle Kingsley. With the Bison down 6-4 going into the bottom of the tenth, the lack of clutch hitting caught up with them as they were able to squeak one run across, but ended up stranding the game-tying and go ahead runs on base.

NDSU will start Summit League play this weekend with a four-game set at Western Illinois. The Bison come into conference play with a 22-7 record fresh off two losses.