Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

BRANDON, S.D. – The Southwest Minnesota State baseball team snapped its seven-game losing streak in a big way on Wednesday night defeating the University of Sioux Falls, 13-4, in game one of a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader played at Aspen Park. SMSU jumped to a 3-0 lead in game two, but USF rallied behind a four-run fourth inning to earn a 5-3 win in game two and salvage a split.
 
The doubleheader was originally set to be played at the Sioux Falls Stadium but was moved due to poor field conditions.
 
SMSU (3-12, 2-8 NSIC), which suffered four one-run losses, including three via walk-off during the losing skid, busted out season-highs in both runs and hits (15).
 
Jake Hendricks finished the opener 3 for 4 with four RBIs and tied a school single-game record with three doubles. Brady Lanoue and Spencer Rudnik both collected two hits and two RBIs, while Ben Heichel had three hits including his second home run of the season. Jayden Fleck also added two hits and scored three runs.
 
USF (4-19, 2-8 NSIC) scored a run in the bottom of the first to take an early lead, but SMSU rallied in the top of the second to take the lead for good. Fleck led the inning off with a double and scored on a Hendricks RBI double. Matt Bezdicek would later put SMSU ahead with a two-out RBI double to make the score 2-1.
 
SMSU broke the game open in the third scoring seven runs on seven hits and put together a huge two-out rally. With one out, Heichel gave SMSU a 3-1 lead with a solo home run over the left field fence. Fleck followed with a single and moved to third on a double by Hendricks. After pop out for the second out of the frame, Lanoue smacked a two-run single to center to make the score 5-1. Rudnik would later add a two-run double before Nathan Kuhn hit a run-scoring single to extend the margin to 8-1. The Mustangs would an unearned run later in the frame to push the lead to 9-1.
 
Connor Johnson made the score 10-1 in the fifth with an RBI ground out, before Hendricks hit a bases-clearing double to give the Mustangs a 13-1 advantage.
 
The run support was plenty for SMSU starting pitcher Spencer Schroeder (1-0), who recorded his first collegiate victory. Schroeder, who pitched well in a no-decision last week versus Minnesota State, allowed four runs on eight hits in the complete game with five strikeouts and two walks.  
 
In game two, Kuhn started the game with a double and after Fleck was hit by a pitch with two outs, Hendricks stepped to the plate and hit a three-run homer over the left field wall to stake the Mustangs to a 3-0 advantage.
 
Unfortunately for SMSU, the Cougar pitching staff dominated the rest of the game, limiting the Mustangs to just three hits in the last eight innings including one in the last six. A total of seven USF pitchers combined to record 15 strikeouts.
 
USF hit a solo home run in the second inning and then pushed across four runs on three hits and one SMSU error in the fourth to build a 5-3 advantage.
 
Jeremy Stouffer (0-4) started for SMSU and suffered the loss allowing all five runs (four earned) in 3 1/3 innings. James Hardy kept the Mustangs in the game as he fired the final 4 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit with seven strikeouts and four walks.  
 
Hendricks finished game two 2 for 4 with three RBIs, as USF out-hit SMSU, 6-5.
 
Southwest Minnesota State was scheduled to host Upper Iowa at Alumni Field this weekend in a three-game set, but the series will be relocated to Fayette, Iowa, on Sunday and Monday, due to poor field conditions in Marshall.