GREELEY, Colo. – Alex Kiel singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning, lifting Northern Colorado over South Dakota State, 3-2, in the opening game of a four-game nonconference college baseball series Friday afternoon at Jackson Field.
The Bears upped their record to 7-5, while SDSU dropped to 2-11 on the season.
UNC’s game-winning rally in the 11th began with a leadoff walk to Brett Minnick. After Jackrabbit reliever Austin Suhr retired the next two batters on youts, Minnick stole second and later slid in ahead of the tag on Kiel’s single to left field.
The Jackrabbits forced extra innings with a run in the top of the ninth. Phil Velez singled with one out, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Phil Jacobson and scored when Gus Steiger singled to left field. UNC left the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth as Suhr worked out of a jam.
SDSU broke a scoreless deadlock with a run in the fifth. Velez drew a one-out walk before scoring on a wild pitch issued by UNC starter Isaac Bracken.
The Bears tied the game at 1 in the sixth on an Evan Johnson run-scoring single, then took a 2-1 lead in the home half of the eighth on another RBI single by Johnson.
Jackrabbit starter Brady Stover limited UNC to two hits over five scoreless innings. The sophomore left-hander struck out a career-high nine batters and walked only one in a no-decision effort.
UNC held an 8-6 advantage in hits as Kiel and Johnson each tallied two. Logan Holtz was the lone Jackrabbit with a pair of hits.
Bracken also recorded nine strikeouts for the Bears and walked two in six innings. Corey Nakakura, who pitched a scoreless top of the 11th, picked up the win for UNC.
Bracken also recorded nine strikeouts for the Bears and walked two in six innings. Corey Nakakura, who pitched a scoreless top of the 11th, picked up the win for UNC.
NOTES: SDSU leads the all-time series, 30-22. ... Friday’s game was the Jackrabbits’ first extra-inning contest of the season. ... The two teams combined for 31 strikeouts – 16 by Northern Colorado pitchers and 15 by SDSU hurlers. ... Stover’s nine strikeouts were the most by a Jackrabbit pitcher since Adam Bray fanned nine Omaha hitters on March 13, 2015. ... Stover struck out the side in the fifth inning, while Suhr fanned all three UNC batters in the 10th. ... Tony Kjolsing had his string of reaching base safely in 26 consecutive games end as he went 0-for-5. ... Josh Falk’s eight-game hitting streak came to an end.
Up next
The two squads are scheduled to play a doubleheader Saturday, starting at noon Mountain Time (1 p.m. Central).
Photo from www.gojacks.com.
