Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State rallied from a seven-run eighth inning deficit to earn a dramatic 12-11 walk-off victory over Bemidji State in game two of an NSIC baseball doubleheader on Friday at Alumni Field and complete the sweep. SMSU used a strong pitching performance from Justin Clark and five home runs to earn a 15-4 victory in game one.
 
SMSU, playing its first home games of the season, improves to 16-22 overall, 11-17 NSIC. The two teams will conclude the season tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
 
Ben Heichel, who finished game two 4 for 6 with four RBIs and two runs scored, smacked a two-out double to provide the walk-off victory.
 
Trailing 11-4 in the eighth inning, SMSU rallied with seven runs, highlighted by a three-run homer from Heichel and a game-tying homer from Jake Hendricks.
 
In the opener, Clark, the reigning NSIC Pitcher of the Week, was dominate as he allowed just four hits and fired just 83 pitches, including 61 for strikes.
 
SMSU finished the game with 13 hits with Nathan Kuhn leading the way with a 3 for 4 effort with two RBIs and two runs scored. Shane Sellner also collected two hits and scored a pair of runs. 
 
SMSU opened the scoring in the bottom of the first as Kuhn led-off with a single and later scored on an RBI double by Sellner.
 
The Mustangs added to the lead in the second as freshman Matt Bezdicek belted his first career home run over the left field fence to make the score 2-0.
 
SMSU continued the long ball in the third as Heichel launched a solo homer over the right-center field wall. Following a single by Sellner, Hendricks cranked a two-run homer to left-center to make the score 5-0. SMSU pushed across another run on a double play grounder to extend the margin to 6-0.
 
BSU's Scott Litchy hit a two-run homer in the fourth, but SMSU answered back with more big hits. Nathan Kuhn started the scoring with a solo homer, the first of his career. SMSU would later put two runners on base via a hit by pitch and a walk, before Brady Lanoue crushed a three-run, pinch-hit homer to push the lead to 10-2.
 
SMSU added to the lead with a five-run sixth, highlighted by a two-run, bad-hop double by Derek Smith and an RBI single by Kuhn.
 
In game two, BSU put together a two-out rally, scoring on a wild pitch and an RBI single, to plate a pair of runs in the first inning.
 
The Beavers put together another two-out rally in the second to add to the lead. With two outs, back-to-back walks were followed by a two-run double by Parker Borg to make the score 4-0.
 
SMSU cut the lead in half in the third as Hendricks smashed a two-run homer to make the score 4-2.
 
BSU answered back in the fourth behind a two-run homer from Caleb Carlson to regain the four-run lead.
 
SMSU came right back with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth as Lanoue walked to start the inning and Connor Johnson followed by launching a two-run homer to pull the Mustangs within 6-4.
 
In the top of the fifth, BSU had another response, scoring a run on an RBI double and a wild pitch to extend the lead to 8-4.
 
BSU scored three unearned runs in the top of the eighth to build an 11-4 lead before SMSU made its comeback.
 
Lanoue started the rally with a one-out solo home run. Following a walk, Tanner Strommen doubled to put runners in scoring position. After a pop out for the second out, Kuhn delivered a two-run single to cut the deficit to 11-7. Heichel then cut the BSU lead to 11-10 with a blast over the right-field fence. Moments later the game was tied as Hendricks lofted a ball over the left-field wall to tie the game at 11. SMSU had a chance to take the lead later in the inning with a single and double, but a pop out ended the rally.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Strommen singled to start the frame and moved to second on a sac bunt by Spencer Rudnik. Following an intentional walk and a strikeout, Heichel smashed a 2-1 pitch over the right fielder's head for the game-winning hit.
 
SMSU clubbed 18 hits in the nightcap, with Strommen, Kuhn, Lanoue and Hendricks all collecting three hits to join Heichel with multi-hit games.
 
Josh Cook (2-1) pitched a perfect top of the ninth to record the victory. John Bezdicek started and lasted two innings, giving up four runs on four hits, while Chase Meyer fired 5 1/3 innings of relief and allowed seven runs (four earned) with four strikeouts and two walks.