May 20, 2006 

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota - North Dakota State hammered out 14 runs through the first four innings on its way to an easy 18-7 win over Utah Valley State at the Division-I Independent Tournament on Saturday. 

The loss eliminates Utah Valley (19-36) from championship contention. The Wolverines will face IPFW Sunday morning at 9am MDT in consolation play. 

Jared Sullivan put the Bison on the board first with a two-run home run in the first inning.

That blast was answered by a two-run homer from Wolverine shortstop Eli Slesk, his third of the season, tying the score at 2-2.

But the North Dakota State bats were too much as the Bison (12-40) put four runs on the board in the second, third and fourth innings to build a lead too big to overcome.

The Wolverines got a single run in the fifth on Dan Bulow's 13th home run of the year and then a sac-fly by Derrick Thomas to cut the lead to 14-6.

North Dakota State added three more runs in the eighth to take its biggest lead of the game at 17-6 before Wolverine senior Nick Connor hit his first home run of the season in the bottom of the inning.

Connor led UV with three hits and is now 9-for-16 in the tournament.

Charles Magadenz had five hits and five runs batted in for NDSU, while Gavin Hofer also had a five-hit day. Sullivan also drove in five runs for the Bison. 

The Bison will face Northern Colorado, 13-10 winners over New York Tech in the other semifinal, Sunday at 4pm MT for the championship.

A win over IPFW would give Utah Valley State 20 wins on the season, which would be an NCAA school record for the school in just its third season of NCAA Division-I play.