Morale boost

Jon Klausing and the University of Northern Colorado baseball team needed a confidence boost.

Turns out the Bears got exactly what they needed on Saturday afternoon.

Klausing pitched an eight-hit complete game, and the Bears got all the runs they would need in an eight-run first inning to down Dallas Baptist 10-1 in the second game of a doubleheader at Jackson Field.

The Bears gave up eight runs in the eighth inning of the first game and fell 12-5 to the Patriots, allowing Dallas Baptist to take two of three in the series.

Klausing, a senior left-hander, was in control throughout the seven-inning second game, striking out seven and walking two.

It gave Klausing his second win of the season (2-4) and his first complete game since throwing a five hitter in a 3-1 victory against then-No. 20 Texas A & M at College Station the second game of the season.

"It feels good to finally get a win," Klausing said. "I was telling some of the guys I can't remember my last win. I felt my last couple outings I threw well, but they just got some hits that probably could have been outs. But I have been improving the last three or four weeks and just hoping for a good outing."

The same could be said for the Bears (15-28), who needed a good outing after losing five in a row, including the first two to the Patriots (29-12) while being outscored 34-20 in the two losses.

However, the Bears were in both games they lost until one bad inning did them in.

"Both times we did not take charge of the game and I think it scared them," said UNC coach Kevin Smallcomb, who was ejected in the eighth inning of the first game after arguing balls and strikes with the umpire. "And they are a good team and when you scare good teams you have to be prepared to make every play and every pitch and we didn't do that in the losses. But then we came right out in the first inning and it shows the resilience of our team."

The Bears got the eight runs in the first inning on only three hits, two of those on a two-run double by Chad Murray and a two-run single by Jeff Horn.

The Bears made the lead stand up thanks to Klausing and a Bears defense that didn't commit an error and turned a double play to end the game.

"It felt really good after losing the first two games of the series," Murray said. "To come back and put a line like that up in the first inning upped the confidence for the rest of the game and hopefully will carry over into next week."

UNC also got a strong pitching performance for starter Chris Reap (4-5) in the first game as he threw a five-hitter over seven innings and left with Bears trailing by only a run at 4-3.

However, UNC relievers Cody Henry and Eric Skufca allowed eight runs in the top of the eighth to help give the Patriots the victory.

Dallas Baptist 000 020 280 - 12 11 1

Northern Colorado 002 100 002 - 5 8 1

DBU: Black (W 1-3, 3 H, 2 ER, 7 BB, 5 SO), Stafford (7th, S2, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO) and Bantz. 2B - Head; 3B - Enos, Bigley; HR - Head (8th, one on); RBI - Enos 3, Goins 3, Bigley 1, Head 2, Knight 1, Kelly 1.

UNC: Chris Reap (L 4-5, 5 H, 3 ER, 6 BB, 3 SO), Cody Henry (8th, 2 H, 4 ER, 2 BB 0SO), Eric Skufca (8th, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO) and Erik Whinery. 2B - Chad Murray; 3B - Erik Hegstad; RBI - Murray 2, Hegstad 1, Mike Raudenbush 1, Phil Santucci 1.

Second game

Dallas Baptist 100 000 0 - 1 8 3

Northern Colorado 810 001 X - 10 6 0

DBU: Millard (L 3-2, 2 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO), Lester (1st, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 SO), Wilson (6th, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) and Pirtle. RBI - Santos.

UNC: Jon Klausing (W 2-4, 8 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO) and Erik Whinery. 2B - Chad Murray, Kevin Sandberg; 3B - Cory Morales; RBI - Morales 2, Murray 2, Hegstad 1, Mike Raudenbush 1, Jeff Horn 2.