Jackrabbits salvage Summit League split with North Dakota St.

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BROOKINGS – South Dakota State and North Dakota State split a Summit League doubleheader Saturday as the Bison won the opener 11-4 and the Jackrabbits took the nightcap 2-1.

Third-place NDSU, which won the series 2-1 and leads the season series 4-2, is now 21-21 (12-9).

Fourth-place SDSU (17-21, 10-11) wraps up its homestand with a three-game series versus Western Illinois.

The opening game against the Leathernecks is Friday at 3 p.m.

Game 1

• NDSU 11, SDSU 4

Bennett Hostetler went 3-for-6 with a grand slam as the Bison racked up 12 hits to clinch the series win.

Logan Busch and JT Core both went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Alec Abercrombie added a pair of RBIs.

The Jackrabbits struck first as Newt Johnson stroked an RBI single and later scored on Luke Ringhofer’s double in the opening inning.

NDSU’s Mason Pierzchalski cut the deficit in half with a run-scoring hit in the third.

The Bison moved ahead 6-2 with a five-run fourth inning, highlighted by Hostetler’s big homer. Abercrombie preceded the blast with an RBI single.

Sacrifice flies by Tucker Rohde and Abercrombie plated Ben Petersen and Busch to push the margin to 8-2 in the top of the fifth.

Johnson had an RBI single in the fifth for the Jackrabbits.

Core countered with a run-scoring hit in the sixth to make it 9-3. Busch’s RBI single in the eighth put the Bison ahead 10-3.

Ringhofer added an RBI double in the eighth for SDSU.

Pierzchalski plated Abercrombie with a sacrifice fly in the ninth to provide for the final margin.

Reed Pfannenstein worked six innings to earn the win, giving up three runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

Chris Choles allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts over the final three frames to pick up the save.

Johnson ended up 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored to pace SDSU.

Ringhofer totaled two hits – both RBI doubles. Nick Smith was 2-for-5.

Hunter Even allowed six runs – five earned – on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

NORTH DAKOTA STATE 11, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 4

NDSU             001 521 011 – 11 12 3

SDSU              200 010 010 –   4   8 4

Reed Pfannenstein, Chris Choles (7) and Danny Palmiscno; Hunter Even, Bryce Hanson (5), Quinn Reimers (7), Ryan Flynn (9) and Luke Ringhofer. W – Pfannenstein (5-4). L – Even (1-2). Sv – Harm (3). 2B: SDSU, Ringhofer 2. HR: NDSU, Bennett Hostetler (1).

Game 2

• SDSU 2, NDSU 1

Ethan Kenkel pitched six scoreless innings and the Jackrabbits avoided the sweep.

He gave up two hits and a walk with a pair of strikeouts.

Derek Fiege surrendered one run on one hit and two walks with a strikeout over the next two frames.

Chris Halbur worked around a one-out walk in the ninth to earn the save. He struck out one batter.

No. 7 hitter Josh Kunzmann started a pair of Jackrabbit rallies.

He walked to lead off the bottom of the second. Landon Badger followed with a single and Tony Kjolsing reached on a bunt single to load the bases.

Leadoff hitter Nick Smith grounded into a fielder’s choice as Kunzmann was thrown out at home. Jake Thompson followed with a groundout but Badger scored to make it 1-0.

Kunzmann singled to open the bottom of the sixth, moved to second on Badger’s sacrifice, took third on a Kjolsing single and scored as Smith reached on a fielder’s choice.

Kunzman and Kjolsing both finished the game 2-for-3.

Busch had an RBI double in the seventh to cut the deficit in half; however, the Jackrabbits held on.

Jordan Harms took the loss after giving up one run on five hits and four walks with seven strikeouts in five innings. Parker Harm allowed one run on two hits over the final three frames.

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 2, NORTH DAKOTA STATE 1

NDSU             000 000 100 – 1 4 0

SDSU              010 001 00x – 2 7 1

Jordan Harms, Parker Harm (6) and Danny Palmiscno; Ethan Kenkel, Derek Feige (7), Chris Halbur (9) and Luke Ringhofer. W – Kenkel (2-1). L – Harms (2-6). Sv – Halbur (1). 2B: SDSU, Logan Busch.