Box Score

TUCSON, Ariz. – Robbie Smith snapped a 3-3 game with an RBI single, while Nathan Kuhn followed with a two-run triple to help Southwest Minnesota State earn its first win of the season on Monday afternoon with a 6-3 victory over Dordt College in college baseball at the Kino Sports Complex as part of the Tucson Invitational.
 
Smith, Kuhn, Ben Heichel and Tanner Strommen all finished with two hits to help the Mustangs improve to 1-4 on the season.
 
Donny Schroeder earned his first career victory with 2 1/3 innings of relief, while Wes Sarland retired the final two batters of the game to record his first career save.
 
Dordt scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first taking advantage of an infield single, a walk and two hit batters to take a 1-0 lead. The Defenders collected three more hits in the second to push across another run and extend the margin to 2-0.
 
SMSU answered back in the fourth to take the lead. Jayden Fleck started the rally with a solo home run—his second of the season—to make the score 2-1. With one out, Matt Bezdicek walked and later came home to score on an RBI double by Strommen to tie the game at 2-2. Following a strikeout, Derek Smith came through with a clutch two-out single and put the Mustangs in front at 3-2.
 
Dordt answered in the fifth with a two-out RBI single to tie the game at 3-3.
 
SMSU regained the lead in the eight as Bezdicek reached on a two-base error and moved to third on a bloop single by Strommen. Robbie Smith then drilled a run-scoring single to put SMSU in the lead. Following a sac bunt by Derek Smith put two runners in scoring position, Kuhn stroked a two-run triple to left-center field to extend the lead to 6-3.
 
The Defenders (2-4) started the bottom of the ninth with a single and an SMSU error, but a fly out induced by Schroeder recorded the first out of the frame. Sarsland then entered the game and closed the game with a ground out and strikeout to seal the victory.
 
Spencer Schroeder, making his first career start in just his second collegiate appearance, fired six solid innings allowing three runs on nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
 
Donny Schroeder allowed just two hits with two strikeouts to earn the win.
 
Both teams finished the game with 11 hits.
 
Southwest Minnesota State continues play on Tuesday facing Mount Marty College starting at 11 a.m. CDT.