Game One Box
Game Two Box
FT. MYERS, FLA.: Lex Reinke belted a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift Southwest Minnesota State to a dramatic 6-5 victory over Ashland University (Ohio) in game two of a doubleheader on Wednesday in Ft. Myers, Fla. The victory snapped a mini two-game losing streak for the Mustangs who lost 6-4 on a walk-off home run by Ashland in game one.
The home run by Reinke was SMSU's first walk-off home run since Joe Westphal hit one versus Bemidji State on Apr. 10, 2000 at Legion Field in Marshall.
The victory made a winner out of SMSU relief pitcher Brandon Wilhelmi who tossed 2.1 innings allowing just one hit while striking out three for his first win of the season.
Ashland, a traditional power who advanced to the College World Series in 2006, took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning off of SMSU starting pitcher Jared Pick. SMSU quickly tied it in the bottom of the inning on a single by Reinke that scored Derek West from second base.
The Eagles added two unearned runs in the fourth inning to take a 3-1 lead before the Mustangs rallied back to tie the contest. Josh Nolan started the rally drilling a 430-foot home run over the center field wall to cut the lead to 3-2. Following a ground out, West drilled a double down the left field line and came around to score on a two-out single by Reinke and tie the score at 3-3.
SMSU then took the lead for the first time in the game in the bottom of the fifth as Doug Stearns singled to lead off the inning and was moved to second on a sac bunt by Corey Neale. Two batters later and with two outs, Nolan stepped up once again and pounded a triple off the center field fence to score pinch-runner Mark Bendzick and give SMSU 4-3 lead. Andrew Kinney then delivered a two-out single to score Nolan and push the lead to 5-3.
Ashland answered back and quickly tied the game in the sixth inning on a one-out, two-run home run. The game remained tied in the seventh and SMSU nearly had a chance to win it in the seventh inning putting runners on first and second with one out but a pop out and strike out ended the rally. Wilhelmi then retired the Eagles in order in the eighth to set up the dramatic home run by Reinke.
Reinke finished the game 3-for-4 with three RBI while Nolan smacked two hits and drove in two runs. Kinney, West and Stearns all added two base hits as well.
Pick tossed a solid 5.2 innings scattering 10 hits while allowing three earned runs and three walks with five strikeouts.
In the opener, SMSU starting pitcher Adam Schrader carried a shutout and a 3-0 lead into the sixth inning but Ashland rallied with a four-run inning to take a 4-3 lead. The Mustangs tied it in the top of the seventh inning on a bases loaded walk by Kinney and still had the bases loaded with one out but an inning ending double play kept the game tied.
In the bottom of the seventh AU's Jeff Kasper ended the contest belting a two-out, two-run homer off of SMSU reliever Aaron Olson to give the Eagles the 6-4 victory.
Schrader allowed just five hits and three runs in the game while striking out three hitters to pick up the no-decision.
Nolan, Kinney and Reinke each finished with two hits in the opener.
SMSU, 6-5 overall, 4-3 on its current 10-game trip to Ft. Myers, will take on Lock Haven (Pa.) in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. CDT on Thursday, Mar. 13.
