Leathernecks win two against Jackrabbits

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BROOKINGS – After dropping a marathon extra-inning opener to Western Illinois on Saturday, the Jackrabbits split a Summit League doubleheader with the Leathernecks on Sunday at Erv Huether Field.

Western won 4-3 in 14 innings on Saturday and then won the rubber game, 9-6, after SDSU won Game 1 on Sunday, 13-7.

The Jacks drop to 16-27 overall and 14-10 in the Summit while the Leathernecks improve to 15-26 and 12-11.

South Dakota State closes the regular season with three league games in Fargo against North Dakota State. Thursday and Friday are night games that start at 6:30 while the first pitch is slated for 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Saturday’s Game

 WIU 4, SDSU 3 (14 inn.)

The Jacks gave up a pair of unearned runs in the top of the 14th inning and could only get one of those back as Western hung on for the 4-3 win.

Dillon Sears reached on an error to open the 14th; moved to second on a sac bunt and then went to third on a wild pitch. Mitch Ellis plated Sears with a base hit to left to give the Leathernecks a 3-2 edge. Ellis stole second and scored on a single by Justin Fitzpatrick for a 4-2 lead.

SDSU rallied in the bottom of the frame when Gus Steiger and Landon Busch both reached base on WIU errors. Ian Cote walked with one out to load the bases before Anthony Schneider’s sac fly to right scored Steiger to make it 4-3. But a groundball out ended the rally as the Jacks came up a run short.

The Leathernecks got on the scoreboard in the third when Jonathan Fleek was hit by a pitch and went to second on an errant pickoff attempt. Fleek scored on Bailey Montgomery’s single to center.

The Jacks tied the game with a run in the bottom of the sixth when Derek Hackman drew a walk. Phil Jacobson, pinch-running for Hackman, advanced to second on a wild pitch; moved to third on Anthony Schneider’s single; and scored on Tony Kjolsing’s base hit to left center.

In the top of the eighth, CJ Schaeffer singled, stole second and advanced to third on Steve McShane’s base hit to center. Drue Galassi laid down a squeeze bunt to plate Schaeffer and give Western a 2-1 advantage.

But SDSU knotted the score with a run in the bottom of the eighth when Schneider walked with one out and then stole second with two down. After Nick Smith drew a base on balls, Newt Johnson singled to left and Schneider slid in under the tag at home to tie it back up at 2-2.

Jordan Mikel picked up the win for WIU in relief as he gave up one run on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts over three innings.

Alex Marro suffered the loss after surrendering two runs – both unearned – on two hits with two strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings of relief.

W. Illinois 4, South Dakota St. 3 (14 Inn)

W. Illinois 001 000 010 000 02    4  9  2

S.D. State 000 001 010 000 01    3  7  5

Ryan Dunne, Colan Borchers (8), Jordan Mikel (12) and CJ Schaeffer; Brady Moxham, Tyler Olmstead (7), Alex Marro (12), Quinn Reimers (14) and Derek Hackman, Kolton Michalski (7). W – Mikel. L – Marro. 2B: SDSU, Ian Cote.

Sunday’s Games

GAME 1

 SDSU 13, WIU 7

The Leathernecks pushed across a run in the top of the second, but that lead was short-lived as SDSU plated five in the bottom of the frame and continued to build on its lead as the Jacks banged out 12 hits.

Johnson homered to lead off the Jackrabbit second before Schneider’s double to right center with the bases loaded plated three. Schneider’s steal of home on the back side of a double steal made it 5-1 through two.

The Jacks added two in the third when Badger’s base hit scored Josh Falk before Skyler Wenninger singled to right to plate Badger.

Schneider’s home run to lead off the fourth pushed the SDSU advantage to 8-1, but the Leathernecks scored a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to get within 8-3.

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, SDSU answered with two runs as Wenninger, Hackman and Schneider all drew bases on balls. Kjolsing drove in Wenninger and Hackman with a single up the middle to make it 10-3.

Western scored a single run in the top of the seventh and the Jacks responded with three in the bottom to put the game away.

Badger walked and Wenninger singled before Jacobson laid down a sac bunt to put both runners in scoring position. Schneider followed up with a three-run shot to right for a 13-4 SDSU lead.

The Leathernecks did score a pair of runs in the eighth and a lone run in the ninth, but it was too little, too late as Korey Kuhlman earned the win after giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.

South Dakota St. 13, W. Illinois 7

W. Illinois 010 020 121    7  10  1

S.D. State 052 120 30x    13  12  2

Javin Drake, Jace Warkentien (3), Sam Cottingham-Beard (5), Justin Foy (8) and CJ Schaeffer, Caleb Jacobs (7); Korey Kuhlmann, Bret Barnett (6), Mitchell Oehme (7) and Derek Hackman, Kolton Michalski (8). W – Kuhlmann. L – Drake. 2B: WIU, Drue Galassi, Deion Thompson; SDSU, Anthony Schneider, Gus Steiger. HR: WIU, Dave Dobrinich; SDSU, Anthony Schneider, Newt Johnson.

GAME 2

 WIU 9, SDSU 6

The Leathernecks scored five runs in the top of the seventh to break a 4-4 tie en route to winning the series with the 9-6 victory.

Western scored once in the top of the third but the Jacks answered with two in the bottom after Steiger hit a lead-off double; advanced to third on a wild pitch; and then scored on Johnson’s groundout. Holtz hit a two-out single and scored on Badger’s triple to right center for a 2-1 SDSU lead.

The teams traded runs in the fourth and the Jacks took a 4-2 advantage with another run in the fifth.

Kolton Michalski walked to lead off the fourth; went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Schneider’s RBI double.

In the fifth, Jacobson reached on a bunt single and later scored on Steiger’s base hit to right.

But the Leathernecks tied the game with two in the sixth and then took control with the five-run seventh.

Steiger drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Jacobson in the seventh and then Steiger singled in the ninth to score Schneider for the final margin.

Bryce Johnson suffered the loss on the mound after giving up five runs – three earned – on seven hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

W. Illinois 9, South Dakota St. 6

W. Illinois 001 102 500    9  13  3

S.D. State 002 110 101    6  13  1

Ian Koch, Jack Carberry (6), Pete Minella (9), Austin Emanuel (9) and CJ Schaeffer; Bryce Johnson, Derek Feige (7), Quinn Reimers (8) and Kolton Michalski. W – Carberry. L – Johnson. Sv – Emanuel. 2B: WIU, CJ Schaeffer, Drue Galassi, Deion Thompson; SDSU, Anthony Schneider, Gus Steiger. 3B: WIU, Dillon Sears; SDSU, Landon Badger.

Register photo: Anthony Schneider slides under the tag to score the tying run in the eighth inning of the Jackrabbits’ 4-3 loss in 14 innings to Western Illinois in the opening game of a three-game Summit League series at Erv Huether.