Jackrabbits take two from Bison, 5-4 and 12-9

Posted

SIOUX FALLS – South Dakota State swept North Dakota State in a Summit League baseball doubleheader Thursday afternoon at Ronken Field, winning 5-4 on a walkoff in Game 1 and posting a 12-9 victory in Game 2.

The Jackrabbits (9-20, 7-5) and Bison (13-16, 6-7) were scheduled to complete the three-game series with a contest this morning at 9:30.

Game 1

 SDSU 5, NDSU 4

Gus Steiger singled to plate Josh Falk with the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Newt Johnson walked to get things going and Falk singled. Badger came through with a one-out single, but NDSU center fielder Alec Abercrombie fired home to catcher Sean Noel to put out Johnson attempting to score from second.

Steiger stepped into the batter’s box next and drove a 1-1 pitch up the first-base line to seal the deal.

Falk (home run, two RBIs) and Steiger (two doubles) both ended up 3-for-5.

Anthony Schneider (double), Nick Smith and Landon Badger added two hits apiece as SDSU totaled 15 in the game.

NDSU’s Bennett Hostetler walked to lead off the game and scored on Mason Pierchalski’s one-out double. Tucker Rhode added an RBI double with two outs to make it 2-0.

Abercrombie drew a base on balls to open the fourth and Matt Elsenpeter followed with a single to chase Jackrabbit starting pitcher Brady Stover.

SDSU recorded a double play, but Drew Fearing came through with an RBI hit to push the margin to 3-0.

Falk led off the bottom of the sixth with a blast over the fence in left field to get the Jackrabbits on the board.

Josh Kutzke opened a seventh-inning rally with a pinch-hit single. Pinch runner Philip Jacobson moved to second on a passed ball and scored on Schneider’s double soon thereafter. Smith singled up the middle with one away to drive in Schneider and knot things up at 3-all.

Johnson added a hit, as he advanced to second and Smith moved to third on a fielding error on the play. Falk came through with an RBI single to put SDSU ahead 4-3.

The Bison were down to their final two strikes in the top of the ninth when Jayse McLean connected for a home run to right-center field to tie the score at 4-all.

SDSU’s Derek Feige (2-0), the last of six Jackrabbit pitchers, earned the win after allowing one run on one hit with three strikeouts over the final two innings.

Stover surrendered three runs on four hits and four walks with a pair of Ks in three-plus innings.

Fearing and Elsenpeter both recorded two hits for the Bison.

Kevin Folman (2-2) took the loss, giving up two runs – one earned – on seven hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 2 2/3 innings. Starter Riley Johnson allowed three runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and a pair of walks in six-plus innings.

SDSU left 11 runners on base in the game, while NDSU stranded 10.

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 5, NORTH DAKOTA STATE 4

NDSU 200 100 001    4    9  1

SDSU 000 001 301    5  15  1

Riley Johnson, Kevin Folman (7) and Sean Noel, Nick Emanuel (9); Brady Stover, Bryce Johnson (4), Alex Marro (6), Korey Kuhlmann (7), Mitchell Oehme (7), Derek Feige (8) and Kolton Michalski, Derek Hackman (8). W – Feige (2-0). L – Folman (2-2). 2B: NDSU, Mason Pierchalski, Tucker Rohde; SDSU, Anthony Schneider, Gus Steiger 2. HR: NDSU, Jayse McLean (4); SDSU, Josh Falk (3).

Game 2

 SDSU 12, NDSU 9

The Jackrabbits pounded out 16 hits, six of which went for extra bases (three home runs), while completing the doubleheader sweep of the Bison.

Josh Falk (HR) and Nick Smith (2B) both finished 4-for-5.

Gus Steiger (three RBIs) and Newt Johnson both totaled two hits, including a long ball. Johnson also doubled. Phil Velez added a triple and a single.

Neither team scored in the opening frame, before exploding in the middle innings.

NDSU’s Matt Elsenpeter recorded a two-run single in the second.

Johnson led off the bottom of the inning with a round-tripper.

NDSU’s Mason Pierzchalski added an RBI hit in the third.

Steiger had a homer to lead off the bottom of the frame, leaving the score at 3-2 in favor of the Bison.

NDSU’s Drew Fearing drove in a pair of runs with a triple and later scored on a throwing error to make it 6-2 in the fourth.

SDSU countered with four runs in the bottom of the inning.

Velez tallied an RBI three-bagger and scored on a Steiger single, before Anthony Schneider stepped up with a run-scoring hit. Pinch runner Philip Jacobson scampered home on a double steal to knot the score at 6-all.

The Bison quickly moved ahead again as Alec Abercrombie belted a two-run homer and Pierzchalski plated Elsenpeter, who singled, on a sacrifice fly to make it 9-6 in the top of the fifth.

The Jackrabbits scored six consecutive runs to close out the game.

In the bottom of the fifth, Smith and Falk sandwiched singles around a Johnson base on balls to load them up with none away.

Velez was hit by a pitch to force in Smith. With one out, Steiger reached on a fielder’s choice, which allowed Johnson to score and cut the deficit to 9-8.

Smith came through with a one-out double in the sixth and, with two away, Falk lifted a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left-center field to put SDSU ahead 10-9.

In the eighth, Schneider was hit by a pitch and advanced on Tony Kjolsing’s sacrifice. Smith and Johnson followed with back-to-back RBI singles to provide for the final margin.

SDSU’s Austin Suhr (3-4), who entered following Abercrombie’s homer in the fifth, gave up one run on one hit with five walks and three strikeouts in three innings to earn the win.

Alex Marro, the Jackrabbits’ fifth hurler of the game, earned the save. He retired six of the seven batters he faced, striking out four and walking one without surrendering a hit.

Starter Brady Moxham lasted just 2 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks with a pair of Ks.

Logan Busch (double) and Elsenpeter both collected two hits for NDSU. Tucker Rohde also doubled.

Parker Harm (1-2), the second of three Bison pitchers, took the loss after giving up four runs on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 2 1/3 innings. Starter Blake Stockert surrendered six runs on nine hits with three Ks and a free pass in 3 2/3.

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 12, NORTH DAKOTA STATE 9

NDSU 021 330 000      9    9  2

SDSU 011 422 02x    12  16  1

Blake Stockert, Parker Harm (4), Chris Choles (7) and Nick Emanuel; Brady Moxham, Bret Barnett (3), Otis Roby (4), Austin Suhr (5), Alex Marro (8) and Derek Hackman, Ian Cote (5). W – Suhr (3-4). L – Harm (1-2). Sv – Marro (2). 2B: NDSU, Logan Busch, Tucker Rohde; SDSU, Nick Smith, Newt Johnson. 3B: NDSU, Drew Fearing; SDSU, Phil Velez. HR: NDSU, Alec Abercrombie; SDSU, Johnson, Josh Falk, Gus Steiger.

Register photo: South Dakota State senior Newt Johnson squares up a pitch and drives it for a home run to lead off the bottom of the second inning during the Jackrabbits’ 12-9 win over North Dakota State in Game 2 of a Summit League doubleheader Thursday afternoon at Ronken Field in Sioux Falls. SDSU won the opener 5-4.