TULSA, Okla. – Korey Kuhlmann led a solid performance by the South Dakota State bullpen with 4 2/3 strong innings to help lead the Jackrabbits to an 8-4 victory over Western Illinois in an elimination game Thursday afternoon at the Summit League Baseball Championship at J.L. Johnson Stadium.
Both teams ended the day with 17-31 records. Western Illinois was seeded second, while the Jackrabbits entered the double-elimination tournament as the No. 4 seed.
A junior left-hander, Kuhlmann entered the game with two outs in the first inning and Western Illinois leading 1-0 after Jackrabbit starter Brady Moxham struggled with his control. The Leathernecks scored without the benefit of a hit thanks to a hit batter, stolen base and two wild pitches.
SDSU responded in a big way in the home half of the first as the first two batters in the Jackrabbit lineup, Anthony Schneider and Tony Kjolsing, each hit solo home runs off Ian Koch for a 2-1 lead. Schneider’s seventh home run of the season tied him for the team lead, while Kjolsing’s circuit clout was his sixth of the year.
Western Illinois scored single runs in each of the second and third innings on sacrifice flies off Kuhlmann to grab a momentary 3-2 lead.
However, the Jackrabbits gained the lead for good with a two-run bottom of the third. Schneider opened the inning by being hit a pitch and advanced to second on a walk to Nick Smith. With two outs, Josh Falk lined a single to center field that scored Schneider, and Smith wheeled all the way around from first when the ball was misplayed in the outfield.
Kuhlmann put up zeroes in both the fourth and fifth innings before giving way to Tyler Olmstead with one out in the sixth.
The game remained a 4-3 contest until the bottom of the seventh, when the Jackrabbits gained some breathing room with a four-run inning.
Derek Hackman, Smith and Newt Johnson all walked to load the bases with two outs. After falling behind 0-2, Falk fouled off a number of pitches before drawing a walk that forced in a run and ultimately led to Western Illinois head coach Ryan Brownlee being ejected for arguing balls and strikes. Gus Steiger followed with his second hit of the day, a two-run single to left, and Falk scored the final run of the frame when he jarred the ball loose sliding into home after Landon Badger dropped a bunt single down the third-base line.
Olmstead was sent out to finish the game in the ninth, but Western Illinois tallied a run on a single with the bases loaded to draw within 8-4 and send the tying run to the plate. Derek Feige then entered and struck out Alex Dorethy looking to end the game. It was Feige’s first save of the season and his career.
Kuhlmann walked one and struck out one while scattering five hits. Olmstead fanned two and walked one over 3 1/3 innings.
Hits were even at eight apiece. Steiger was the lone Jackrabbit with more than one hit, going 2-for-4. Montgomery and Deion Thompson each tallied two hits for Western Illinois.
Koch tossed 6 2/3 innings in his start for the Leathernecks, striking out eight and walking three.
Up Next
The Jackrabbits face North Dakota State, a 6-4 loser to Oral Roberts on Thursday, in another elimination game today at 6 p.m.
Notes
The Jackrabbits claimed the season series from WIU, 3-2, and lead the all-time series 32-23. ... SDSU and Western Illinois are 2-2 against each other in Summit League postseason games, with Thursday’s contest marking their first tournament matchup since 2014. ... The Jackrabbits upped their overall record in Summit League Baseball Championship games to 15-16, and SDSU has won at least one game in all nine of its tournament appearances. ... Steiger extended his hitting streak to eight games, during which he is batting .375 (15-for-40). ... Steiger recorded his team-best 19th multi-hit game of the season and has nine multi-hit performances in the last 13 games. ... Schneider went 11-for-19 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in his last four games against Western Illinois. ... The back-to-back home runs by Schneider and Kjolsing marked the first time the Jackrabbits hit consecutive home runs since Josh Kunzmann (two-run) and Matt Johnson (solo) accomplished the feat in the second game of an April 15, 2017, doubleheader at Western Illinois. ... Of Kjolsing’s 14 career home runs, nine have been hit in the month of May. ... Moxham became the sixth Jackrabbit pitcher to start 15 or more games in a season; Andrew Clemen was the most recent in 2016. ... Kuhlmann has won three decisions in a row. ... Newt Johnson played in his 194th career game, moving him into sole possession of ninth place on the SDSU all-time charts.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 8, WESTERN ILLINOIS 4
WIU 111 000 001 – 4 8 2
SDSU 202 000 40x – 8 8 1
Ian Koch, Jordan Mikel (7), Colan Borchers (7) and CJ Schaeffer; Brady Moxham, Korey Kuhlmann (1), Tyler Olmstead (6), Derek Feige (9) and Derek Hackman, Kolton Michalski (8). W – Kuhlmann (3-3). L – Koch (4-6). Sv – Feige (1). HR: SDSU, Anthony Schneider, Tony Kjolsing.
• Oral Roberts 6, North Dakota State 4
The Golden Eagles (37-18) scored five runs in the top of the seventh, turning a 4-1 deficit into a 6-4 advantage.
Oral Roberts’ Noah Cummings opened the scoring with a homer in the first.
NDSU’s Carter Thompson tallied a three-run double in the bottom of the first and added an RBI two-bagger in the sixth to make it 4-1 in favor of the Bison (26-23).
Cummings and Spencer Henson had back-to-back RBI singles in the big seventh. Nick Rotola reached on a fielder’s choice, which allowed Cummings to score to tie things up at 4-4. An error on the play kept the bases loaded, as Riley Keizor drew a walk to force in Henson with the go-ahead run. Trevor McCutchin’s groundout plated Andrew Pace to complete the scoring.
Justin McGregor (6-1) earned the win after giving up four runs on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts in six innings. Taylor Varnell tossed two scoreless innings in relief and Kyler Stout struck out the side in the ninth to pick up the save.
Bison starter Riley Johnson did not factor in the decision despite allowing just one run on four hits and five walks with three strikeouts in six innings.
Parker Harm surrendered two runs on two hits in just two-thirds of an inning. Kevin Folman took the loss after giving up three runs – two earned – on three hits with a pair of strikeouts and two walks in 2 2/3.
Photo from www.gojacks.com.
