GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado struck for seven runs in the second inning en route to an 11-7 victory and sweep of a four-game nonconference baseball series on Sunday afternoon against South Dakota State at Jackson Field.
The Bears improved to 10-5 overall while SDSU dropped to 2-14 on the season.
Leading 1-0 after scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning, UNC sent 12 men to the plate in the seven-run second inning.
Brett Minick doubled twice in the frame, starting the outburst with a leadoff double off Jackrabbit starter Otis Roby before adding an RBI double against reliever Korey Kuhlmann to put the Bears up 8-0. Dean Lawson also doubled in a run for one of UNC’s six hits in the second inning.
SDSU chipped away at the deficit, scoring a run in the fourth on a solo home run by Josh Falk and adding three runs in the fifth on a run-scoring single by Josh Kutzke and two-run single by Logan Holtz.
Northern Colorado countered with a pair of runs in the home half of the fourth on back-to-back RBI doubles from Tyler Yamaguchi and Payton Tapia.
The Bears out-hit SDSU, 16-8, with eight of their hits of the two-base variety.
Austin Miller was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles to lead UNC, which had six different players register two or more hits.
Kutzke, who was 2-for-5, delivered his second run-scoring hit for SDSU in the top of the seventh, while Tony Kjolsing provided the final tally for the Jackrabbits with a two-run homer in the ninth.
Kjolsing and Falk each added two hits.
UNC starter Baxter Halligan struck out seven and walked three over five innings to pick up the win.
Jackrabbit freshman Bret Barnett retired all six batters he faced between the fifth and sixth innings to keep SDSU within striking distance.
NOTES: SDSU leads the all-time series, 30-25. ... The home runs by Falk and Kjolsing were the only home runs hit in the series by either team. ... Kjolsing and Falk now share the team lead in home runs with Anthony Schneider at two. ... Skyler Wenninger reached base safely for the 11th consecutive game. ... Newt Johnson extended his hitting streak to six games
UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits open Summit League play Friday night at Oral Roberts. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at J.L. Johnson Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with the game scheduled to air on ESPN3.com.
SDSU loses pair to Northern Colorado
GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado scored two times in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull out a 5-4 victory in the opening game of a college baseball doubleheader and carried the momentum into Game 2 for an 8-2 win over South Dakota State on Saturday afternoon at Jackson Field.
• Northern Colorado 5, SDSU 4
In a seven-inning game, the Bears’ Austin Miller drew a walk with the bases loaded to force in the eventual winning run. Jack Pauley started the game-winning rally with a base hit, moved to third on an error and scored the tying run on a groundout.
Tyler Yamaguchi followed with a base hit and advanced to third on back-to-back walks issued to Jake Garcia and Dean Lawson by Jackrabbit starter Tyler Olmstead. Miller’s walk came against freshman reliever Bret Barnett.
SDSU built a 3-0 lead, taking advantage of two UNC errors to score a run in the second inning before tacking on two more runs in the fourth.
The Jackrabbits strung together four consecutive singles, the last two of which were by outfielders Logan Holtz and Phil Velez to drive in runs.
Northern Colorado responded with three runs in the home half of the fourth to tie the game at 3-all. Yamaguchi plated the first two runs with a single to left-center field and later scored on a base hit by Garcia.
The Jackrabbits regained the lead in the top of the sixth as Ian Cote delivered a double that scored Holtz, who was the lone SDSU player with two hits. The Jackrabbits out-hit UNC, 7-6.
A sophomore from Sioux Falls, Olmstead suffered his first collegiate loss after winning his first three decisions over two seasons. He struck out seven and walked three while surrendering five runs on six hits.
UNC starter Keenan Lum struck out seven and walked four over five innings. Connor Leedholm earned the save after fanning the side in order in the top of the seventh.
• Northern Colorado 8, SDSU 2
Northern Colorado scored in each of its last six innings of batting to complete the doubleheader sweep with an 8-2 victory.
SDSU tallied the first run of the game in the top of the second as Josh Falk hit a leadoff double and scored on a groundout off the bat of Tony Kjolsing.
From there it was all UNC as the Bears scored single runs in the third and fourth innings, followed by two-run frames in the fifth and sixth innings.
The Bears added runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Cole Maltese and Baxter Halligan each posted two hits and a run batted in, while Miller contributed a pair of runs batted in.
The Jackrabbits’ other run came in the top of the ninth on a double by Skyler Wenninger that brought home Newt Johnson. Wenninger and Falk each accounted for two of SDSU’s five hits.
SDSU starter Brady Moxham pitched seven innings, striking out six and walking only one despite giving up seven runs – five earned – on seven hits.
Bryce Hanson made his season debut and allowed an unearned run in the eighth as he walked two and struck out a pair.
Photo from www.gojacks.com.
