Box Score
FT. MYERS, FLA.: Southwest Minnesota State closed out its 10-game Florida road trip with a come from behind 9-7 victory over Lock Haven (Pa.) on Friday morning in Ft. Myers, Fla.
Trailing 5-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, SMSU sent 10 men to the plate in the inning scoring seven runs on five hits to take the lead and earn its second win in a row and finish the spring trip with a record of 6-4. SMSU is now 8-6 overall on the season.
As planned prior the game, SMSU pitched by committee in the nine-inning game and used nine different pitchers. Redshirt freshman Max Zwart was the seventh pitcher of the game earned his first career victory. Brandon Wilhelmi pitched a perfect ninth inning to record his first save of the season.
The game started great for SMSU as starting pitcher Derek Bjoraker struck out the side in the top of the first inning and the Mustang offense responded in the bottom half of the inning as Derick Swenson lead off the inning with a single and came around to score two batters later on a towering home run by Andrew Kinney. Bjoraker pitched a perfect second inning before giving way to the Mustang bullpen.
SMSU maintained the 2-0 lead before LHU rallied with three runs in the fifth inning (two unearned) against Mark Bendzick. It was Bendzick's first game on the mound in nearly two years after recovery from Tommy John surgery.
Lock Haven added to the lead in the seventh inning scoring two runs (one earned) off of Aaron Rochleau to make the score 5-2 before the Mustangs answered with its big seventh inning rally.
Andy Williamson and Corey Neale coaxed back-to-back walks to lead off the inning before Swenson and Greg Laughlin followed with back-to-back infield hits to trim the lead to 5-3. Andrew Kinney then drilled a two-run single scoring Neale and Swenson and to tie the game at 5-5. Josh Nolan then gave SMSU the lead with a sac fly before Lex Reinke smacked a run-scoring single to score Kinney and push the margin to 7-5. Derek West then capped the Mustang rally with a two-run home run over the left centerfield wall to give SMSU a 9-5 lead.
LHU scored two runs in the eighth inning off of Kinney before Wilhelmi closed the door with a perfect ninth inning to preserve the win.
Swenson led SMSU with three hits in the game while Reinke and Kinney each added two hits apiece.
Zwart earned the win tossing two-thirds of innings allowing one hit.
SMSU will now return to action next weekend taking on Winona State to begin Northern Sun Conference play. The two teams will play a four-game series at the Metrodome in Minneapolis beginning on Friday, Mar. 21.
