Box Score

TUCSON, Ariz. – Southwest Minnesota State build an early 5-0 lead and finished with 19 base hits, but it was not enough as Valley City State (N.D.) rallied for a 15-13 victory in college baseball on Saturday night at the Tucson Invitational at the Kino Sports Complex.
 
SMSU (4-5), which had its three-game winning streak snapped, jumped on the board early scoring five runs in the top of the first inning. Jayden Fleck led off the game with a single and moved to second on a walk to Tanner Strommen. Derek Branson drilled a ground-rule double to score the game's first run, before Brian Redemske made it 3-0 with a two-run double. Shane Sellner later added an RBI ground out, while Cole VanderBeek capped the inning with an RBI single to push the lead to 5-0.
 
VCSU answered with three runs in the bottom of the first, but SMSU added to the lead in the second. Branson delivered an RBI double to score Strommen to push the lead to 6-3.
 
The lead did not last long, as the Vikings rallied with a five-run second inning—capped by a three-run home run to take an 8-6 lead after two innings.
 
Branson coaxed a bases loaded walk in the third to make the score 8-7 after three innings, before SMSU regained the lead with a two-run fourth inning. Tanner Luebke hit a two-out pinch-hit single and scored on a VanderBeek triple. Kody Larson followed with a run-scoring single to put SMSU back in the lead at 9-8.
 
VCSU answered in the bottom of the fourth plating four runs to build a 12-9 lead.
 
SMSU came right back with its own big inning as Redemske hit a two-run double and later scored on a single from Shane Sellner to tie the game at 12-12.
 
VCSU quickly went back in front with a solo home run to lead off the home half of the fifth inning.
 
The game remained 13-12 until the seventh when Luebke hit a two-out RBI single to score Redemske to tie the game once more.
 
Again, VCSU had an answer, pushing across two runs in the bottom of the seventh to build a 15-13 advantage.
 
SMSU had chances in the final two innings, leaving two runners on in the eight and the bases loaded in the ninth.
 
The Mustangs racked up 19 hits in the game with Redemske finishing 4 for 6 with four RBIs and three runs scored, while Branson finished 3 for 4 with three RBIs and a pair of runs scored. VanderBeek also collected three hits and drove in a pair of runs.
 
Chase Meyer (1-1), the fourth of five SMSU pitchers, suffered the loss allowing two runs on two hits in 1 1/3 innings.
 
Southwest Minnesota State concludes its 10-game trip to Arizona tomorrow with a nine-inning game versus Dakota State University (S.D.) starting at 11 a.m. CDT.