Box Score

FT. MYERS, Fla. - The Southwest Minnesota State baseball team concluded its spring trip with a 5-1 victory over St. Michael's (Vt.) on Saturday morning in Ft. Myers, Fla.  

The Mustangs finished the opening season trip with a 10-1 record, the best spring trip in school history.

Adam Schrader started on the mound for SMSU and earned the victory tossing six shutout innings recording a career-high 10 strikeouts, while allowing four hits.  Schrader finished the week with a 2-0 record, pitching 10 shutout innings in two starts, while striking out 14 batters, walking just one and allowing just five hits.

SMSU took advantage of a two-out error by St. Michael's in the second inning as Josh Nolan reached on an error and stole second base.  Doug Mead then scored Nolan ripping a single to right field to put the Mustangs on the board.

SMSU pushed the lead to 5-0 in the fourth inning, again taking advantage of an error to score three unearned runs.  Derek West lead off with a single and moved to third base on a double by Scott Rambow.  West and Rambow then both scored on an error by the St. Michael shortstop on a ground ball hit by Doug Stearns.  With two outs and Stearns at second, Derick Swenson singled home Stearns to make it 4-0 and following a Swneson stolen base, he came around to score on a run-scoring single by Andrew Kinney.

That was more than enough run support for Schrader and three Mustang relief pitchers, who combined to strikeout 14 batters and walk just two.

The Mustang offense was held in check, collecting a season-low seven hits, with Kinney recording the lone multi-hit game, with two hits in three at bats.  

Southwest Minnesota State finished the 11-game road trip batting .431 with 36 doubles, 11 home runs and seven triples.  The Mustang pitching staff was also outstanding finishing the week with a 3.49 ERA in 80 innings, with 73 strikeouts, 29 walks, while pponents hit just .239.

SMSU returns to action on Wednesday, March 25, with a doubleheader at Dakota Wesleyan in Mitchell, S.D.  The team then opens Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play next weekend with a four-game series at Northern State on March 28-29.