Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

OMAHA, Neb. – Southwest Minnesota State snapped a six-game losing streak with a 12-2 victory over Northern State in game two of a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference baseball doubleheader on Sunday at Jurgenson Park. NSU took the opening game by a score of 4-0.
 
The games, originally scheduled to be played in Marshall, were played at Jurgenson Park on the campus of Creighton Prep School. The two teams were scheduled to complete the four-game series on Monday with a doubleheader in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but that has been canceled due to expected poor weather.
 
In game two, SMSU (6-10, 1-5 NSIC) broke out of an offensive slump in a big way with 12 runs on 14 hits. SMSU had scored just seven runs in its prior six games before the game two victory.
 
SMSU broke through with a pair of runs in the second inning. With one out, Connor Johnson lined a single and moved to second on an infield hit by Spencer Rudnik. Both runners advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Following a strikeout, Tanner Strommen laced a single to left field to score Johnson and following an error on the play by the left fielder, Rudnik came around to score.
 
SMSU used another big two-out rally in the third to expand the lead. Nathan Kuhn started the inning with an infield single and Ben Heichel followed with a walk. Following a sac bunt by Shane Sellner, Jayden Fleck walked to load the bases. After a strikeout, Rudnik drove in a pair of runs with an infield single to make the score 4-0. A wild pitch plated another run, before Jake Hendricks smashed an RBI double to push the lead to 6-0.
 
NSU (7-8, 2-4 NSIC) scored a pair of runs in the fourth to make it 6-2, but SMSU put the game away with big innings in both the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, Johnson and Rudnik executed a double steal with Johnson scoring from third. Strommen followed with a run-scoring single to extend the lead to 8-2.
 
With one out in the sixth inning, Heichel doubled and advanced to third on a single by Sellner. Fleck made it 9-2 with an RBI double and moments later Johnson hit an RBI ground out to score Sellner. Fleck would later score on a wild pitch to make the score 11-2.
 
Fleck added another RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to end the game via run-rule.
 
The run support was plenty for SMSU starting pitcher John Bezdicek, who improved to 2-2 on the season, scattering three hits in seven innings. He allowed two runs and walked four, but recorded six strikeouts.
 
Fleck led the Mustang offense going 3 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Strommen, Kuhn and Rudnik all collected two hits, while Strommen and Rudnik each added two RBIs.
 
In game one, NSU starting pitcher Luke Chevalier, a first team All-NSIC and all-region honoree a season ago, allowed just two hits in recording the shutout with three strikeouts and four walks.
 
SMSU's best scoring chance came in the third inning as the Mustangs loaded the bases via three walks, but a hard ground out ended the rally attempt.
 
Justin Clark (1-2) started on the mound for SMSU and was solid, tossing six innings and allowing two runs on four hits with a season-high eight strikeouts and two walks.
 
NSU broke a scoreless game in the fourth inning using three hits and one SMSU error to score a pair of runs. The Wolves added two insurances runs off of SMSU relief pitcher Brandon Woznak in the seventh inning.
 
Fleck and Kuhn had the only hits for SMSU in the opener.