> Game 1 Box
> Game 2 Box
ORANGE CITY, Iowa – Patrick Rients belted a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning to snap a 4-4 game and lead Southwest Minnesota State to a 6-4 victory in eighth innings over Northwestern College (Iowa) in game two of a non-conference doubleheader on Saturday.
Northwestern (9-15) rallied from a late 5-0 deficit to earn a 6-5 victory in game one, using a three-run home run to tie the game. The teams split the four-game, home-and-home weekend series.
In game two, SMSU (7-9) held a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Red Raiders rallied with four runs, with Skyler Wheeler belting a one-out, three-run homer to tie the game and send to extra innings.
SMSU freshman starter Alex Jorgenson was solid, tossing a career-high 5 1/3 shutout innings, allowing seven hits with two strikeouts and zero walks.
Jason Minett led the Mustangs offense going 2 for 3 with three RBIs, teammate Brian Redemske finished 3 for 5, while Reints and Austin Stubbs both collected two hits apiece.
The Mustangs jumped to an early lead in the first inning with Minett coming through with a two-run double to score Stubbs and Jarred Carlson.
In the fourth, SMSU added to the lead as Sutton Masat collected his first collegiate hit and came around to score on a two-out run-scoring single by Rients
SMSU made it 4-0 in the sixth as Masat lead off with a walk and later crossed the plate on a sac fly by Stubbs
Cameron Knudson (2-0) earned the win in relief for SMSU, with Joe Axelson, the fourth Mustang pitcher, recording the final three outs to earn his first save of the season.
In game one, NWC's Grant Lang hit a one-out double to score the winning run off of SMSU pitcher Brandan Alfson and cap the comeback for the Red Raiders
SMSU took advantage of two walks and an error in the top of the first to score a pair of runs on a two-out, two-run double by Carlson to score Ryan Engels and Rients
SMSU added to the lead in the third as Rients coaxed a lead-off walk, while Carlson was hit by a pitch to put a pair of runners on base with one out. Following a fly out, Shane Sellner and Cole VanderBeek hit back-to-back RBI singles to extend the lead to 4-0.
The Mustangs made the lead 5-0 in the top of the sixth as Stubbs earned a one-out, bases loaded walk to score Engels, but SMSU failed to add to the lead, as a foul out and strikeout kept the game at 5-0.
The Red Raiders took advantage of SMSU's failed chance to add to the lead, scoring five runs in the sixth, capped by a three-run home run by Mitch Peschon, off of SMSU relief pitcher Jake Leighton to tie the game.
Jimmy Callahan started for SMSU and pitched five-plus innings, allowing three runs on nine hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Alfson (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing the one run on two hits in 2 1/3 innings with two walks.
Minett led SMSU's eight-hit offense with two hits.
Southwest Minnesota State opens Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play next weekend hosting Minot State University at Alumni Field on Saturday and Sunday.
