FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Newt Johnson drove in three runs and Anthony Schneider scored four times to lead South Dakota State to an 11-5, Summit League series-clinching victory over Fort Wayne in college baseball action Sunday afternoon at Mastodon Field.
In winning for the ninth time in their last 12 Summit League games, the Jackrabbits improved to 12-24 overall and 10-8 in league play. Fort Wayne fell to 10-27 overall and 6-15 in The Summit League.
SDSU led wire to wire, jumping out to a 2-0 first-inning lead on Johnson’s two-run single to left field, which came after Johnson’s at-bat was extended by a dropped foul ball. Schneider and Nick Smith scored on the play.
The Mastodons scored in the bottom of the second to pull to within 2-1, but SDSU scored the next five runs with a three-run fourth inning and two-run sixth. The fourth inning was highlighted by a sacrifice fly by Smith, which was sandwiched around runs scoring on an error and wild pitch. In the sixth, Schneider plated Skyler Wenninger with a double to left-center, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Tony Kjolsing.
Jackrabbit starter Brady Moxham picked up his first win in an SDSU uniform by pitching six strong innings. The sophomore right-hander from Oakville, Montana, struck out two, walked two and allowed two runs on four hits.
Alex Marro finished the game with two scoreless innings, striking out two.
SDSU continued to put runs on the board in the late innings, putting two across in the seventh, followed by single runs in the eighth and ninth. Singles by Wenninger and pinch-hitter Logan Holtz plated the seventh inning runs, while Gus Steiger recorded a run-scoring single in the eighth.
Johnson accounted for the final run of the game for SDSU with the team’s third sacrifice fly of the game in the ninth.
The Jackrabbits held a 14-10 advantage in hits and were led by Kjolsing’s 3-for-5 afternoon at the plate. Schneider, Josh Falk and Steiger each notched two hits. Zak Kellogg was one of three Fort Wayne players with two hits and drove in a pair of runs.
NOTES: SDSU won the season series, 5-1, and holds an all-time record of 52-14 against Fort Wayne. ... Schneider became the first Jacrkabbit since Newt Johnson in a March 18, 2017, game at Omaha to score four times. ... Johnson upped his team-leading RBI total to 32 and now has a team-best nine multi-RBI games. ... Johnson has reached base safely in 29 consecutive games. ... Smith went 0-for-4 to have his team-best 14-game hitting streak come to an end, but he did draw a ninth-inning walk to reach base safely for the 21st consecutive game. ... The Jackrabbits stole a season-high seven bases, including two by Kjolsing, who upped his team-leading individual total to 15. ... Kjolsing ended the series 7-for-13 (.538 batting average) at the plate with a pair of three-hit games.
UP NEXT: The Jackrabbits are scheduled to play their first true home game of the season, hosting Omaha in the opening game of a three-game Summit League series Friday at Erv Huether Field. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
SATURDAY
• IPFW 6, SDSU 5
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The South Dakota State University baseball team had its comeback bid fall just short in a 6-5 loss at Fort Wayne in Summit League action Saturday afternoon at Mastodon Field.
Trailing 5-0, the Jackrabbits got on the board in the top of the fifth on a two-run double by Newt Johnson that scored Anthony Schneider and Tony Kjolsing.
Fort Wayne got a run back in the home half of the fifth on an RBI single by Mike Snyder, but the Jackrabbits responded with two more runs in the sixth as Kjolsing came up with a two-out, two-run single that drove in both Landon Badger and Schneider.
As Jackrabbit reliever Bryce Johnson kept the Mastodons off the board with 3 2/3 scoreless innings, SDSU made it a one-run game in the eighth. The first two Jackrabbit batters reached and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Ian Cote. Schneider then lifted a fly ball to left field that scored Badger to make the score 6-5, but the trail runner on the play was thrown out at third base after Badger crossed home.
SDSU again placed the first two batters of the ninth inning on base as Kjolsing drew a leadoff walk and Nick Smith singled. However, Fort Wayne pitcher Cameron Boyd induced a double-play grounder and notched his only strikeout of the game to end the Jackrabbit threat and the ball game.
Fort Wayne took advantage of three wild pitches to score twice in the second inning, then added three runs in the third inning against the Jackrabbit bullpen to build a 5-0 lead. Dylan Wilbert plated the first two runs in the third with a single, while Snyder was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in the other run.
Mastodon starter Damian Helm struck out five and walked two over six innings to earn the win. Boyd pitched the final three innings to pick up the save.
The Jackrabbits held a 10-9 edge in hits as Badger went 3-for-4 to lead the way. Schneider, Smith and Newt Johnson each added two hits. Brady Hettinger and Zak Kellogg each tallied two hits to lead Fort Wayne.
NOTES: Fort Wayne ended a 10-game losing streak to the Jackrabbits. ... Smith extended his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games, which has included nine multi-hit games in that span. ... Newt Johnson has reached base safely in 28 consecutive games. ... Newt Johnson recorded his team-leading eighth multi-RBI game of the season. ... SDSU stole four bases in the game, including one by Kjolsing, who upped his team-leading total to 13.
