GAME 1 BOX | GAME 2 BOX
MARSHALL, Minn. - Doug Mead coaxed a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Southwest Minnesota State a 10-9 victory over Northern State in game two of a doubleheader on a windy day in Marshall. Northern State won the opener 3-1.
In game two, SMSU built an 8-3 lead after six innings, but saw the Wolves score three in the seventh and then three more in the ninth to tie the game.
SMSU won the game with a two-out rally in the final inning. Mark Hanson started the inning with a pinch-hit single, but Ben Korger hit into a double play one batter later. Tanner Neale then reached on an error by the NSU second baseman and the Mustangs took advantage. Brian Ness then drilled a single to right field, before Adam Thygesen reached on an infield single to third to load the bases. Mead, making his first plate appearance of the day, watched two pitches outside the strike, before a called strike and swinging strike moved the count to 2-2. Mead then watched two more out of the zone to give SMSU the walk-off victory.
Derek Skovbroten (3-0), one of four SMSU pitchers, retired the final batter in the top of the ninth to earn the victory for the Mustangs.
Brian Ness led a 12-hit SMSU attach in game two with three hits, with Chris Eichten and Adam Thygesen each adding two hits apiece.
Trailing 1-0 in the fourth, SMSU tied the game with a Jon Ellis clutch two-out RBI single to left centerfield to score Ness from second base.
NSU regained the lead with a two-out, two-run double in the fifth, before SMSU came right back again to tie the game.
Jeff Watson started the rally getting hit by a pitch, before Ben Korger walked. Following a fielder's choice and fly out, Thygesen came through with another big two-out hit, this time a double down the left field line to score a pair of runs and tie the game at 3-3.
SMSU relief pitcher Brandan Alfson worked a scoreless sixth, before SMSU pushed across five runs in the bottom of the inning.
Ellis walked to start the frame and quickly stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Chris Eichten then came through with an RBI single to give SMSU a 4-3 lead. Eichten later scored on a fielder's choice, before Ness made the score 6-3 with an RBI single. Kyle Young then capped the big inning with a two-run single to left center go extend the margin to 8-3.
NSU took advantage of two SMSU errors in the seventh to score three runs and cut the lead to 8-6, but SMSU came back in the bottom of the seventh with a run of its own, with Jordon Kontz smacking a two-out run-scoring double to left center, scoring Flattum.
The game remained 9-6 until the ninth when NSU answered to tie the game and nearly took the lead.
Dylan Shoemaker, who came on in relief for SMSU in the eighth, took the mound for the ninth, but a hit by pitch and single, brought the tying run to the plate. A fielding error loaded the bases with no outs, before Shoemaker coaxed a sac fly for the inning's first out and SMSU holing a 9-7 lead. NSU's Robbie Rocamora hit an RBI single to make the score 9-8, before Robert Fahlin singled to load the bases. Shoemaker retired the next batter on an infield fly for the second out, but he then hit Jose Figueroa with a 2-1 pitch to bring across the game-tying run. Skovbroten then entered the game with the bases loaded and closed the inning with a fly out and setting up the rally in the bottom of the ninth inning.
In game one, SMSU stranded nine runners on base, including leaving the bases loaded in both the first and seventh innings, in the setback.
Alex Alvarez (2-3) started for SMSU and tossed the complete game, allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits with four strikeouts.
NSU scored all three of its runs with two outs in the fifth inning.
SMSU trailed 3-0 in the seventh inning, but nearly rallied to tie the game. Facing relief pitcher Clayton Nutting with one out, Tyler Flattum singled and advanced to second after Jeff Watson was hit by a pitch. Ben Korger then loaded the bases with an infield single, before Jordon Kontz walked to push across a run and cut the deficit to 3-1. NSU then brought in pitcher Clint Manzo and the right-hander recorded a strikeout and fly out to end the game.
NSU's Nathan Nietfeld pitched the first six innings to earn the victory allowing just two hits with one strikeout and four walks.
Southwest Minnesota State continues its eight-game homestand this weekend with a four-game series versus Wayne State. Saturday's doubleheader begins at 1:30 p.m.
