ST. PAUL, Minn. (Interstat) — Owen Marsolek pitched seven strong innings and the Saint Thomas Tommies held off a late rally by North Dakota State to earn a 3-2 Summit League victory Friday evening at Koch Diamond.

Marsolek, a right-hander, allowed two runs on five hits and struck out 10 while walking none to improve to 2-5 on the season. He came off a dominant performance May 9 at South Dakota State, when he threw 7 2/3 innings of two-hit ball with 12 strikeouts, but had struggled in his prior start May 2 against Oral Roberts, surrendering 10 runs in four innings.

The Tommies, who improved to 11-35 overall, took the lead for good in the fifth inning. With the score tied 2-2, Joe Roder singled to left field and scored on a triple to right-center by Owen Bond. Bond finished 2 for 4 with the RBI. The Bison (10-32) threatened in the ninth, putting runners on first and second with one out against reliever Zak Endres, but Endres induced a fielder’s choice to end the game. Endres pitched two scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out two.

Sheamus Ryan started for North Dakota State and went eight innings, giving up three runs – none earned – on 10 hits while striking out six. Ryan’s line was marred by a throwing error in the first inning that allowed a runner to advance, but the Bison defense held the Tommies scoreless through two innings.

North Dakota State struck first in the top of the first. With two outs, a single and a walk set the table, but the Bison failed to score after a strikeout. The Bison pushed across two runs in the top of the fourth when Dante Smith hit a solo home run to left field, his fourth of the season, to give North Dakota State a 2-0 lead. Smith went 1 for 4 with the homer and a run batted in.

The Tommies responded in the bottom of the fourth. Matthew Maulik singled and Adam Puder singled, then a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position. Lucas McNellis grounded out to shortstop, driving in Maulik to cut the lead to 2-1. The game was tied 2-2 after a sacrifice fly by Roder in the third inning that scored Tanner Recchio.

Recchio, the Tommies’ second baseman, had two hits, stole two bases and scored a run. Bond also had two hits and an RBI. For the Bison, Cade Womack went 1 for 4 with an RBI single in the sixth that tied the game at 2-2, but the Bison left him stranded.

The Bison managed only five hits total against Marsolek and Endres, striking out 14 times. North Dakota State had won the previous day’s game against Saint Thomas 6-16, but Friday’s result evened the series.

The game featured several defensive plays, including a caught stealing in the seventh inning when Tommies’ Recchio was thrown out at home after a strikeout and rundown. North Dakota State also turned a double play in the third inning when Easton Fritcher was caught stealing after a single.

The Bison had a chance in the sixth when Becker doubled and Womack singled him home, but Smith grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of North Dakota State 4, Saint Thomas 3, and Interstat’s ELO system had given the Bison a 51.9 percent probability to win.