Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

MARSHALL, Minn. – After playing its first 28 games on the road, including all but two outside the state of Minnesota, the Southwest Minnesota State baseball finally made its home debut on Wednesday sweeping a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader over Minnesota Duluth by scores of 8-4 and 9-3 at Legion Field.
 
The two victories pushes SMSU record to 8-22 overall, 7-18 NSIC, while UMD, which came in riding a four-game winning streak, drops to 12-27 overall, 9-19 NSIC.
 
The victory in the opener snapped a six-game losing streak for SMSU in the series earning its first win over UMD since April 8, 2015.
 
Brady Lanoue had a big day for the Mustangs combining for four hits and five RBIs in the two games while teammate Ben Heichel hit a pair of home runs and finished the twinbill with five RBIs.
 
UMD opened game one in the top of the first with four hits including three doubles to plate three runs and take an early 3-0 lead.
 
SMSU answered in the bottom of the second as Tanner Strommen stroked a two-out single, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Spencer Rudnik to cut the deficit to 3-1.
 
The Mustangs took the lead using the long ball in the third inning as Brady Lanoue launched a solo shot to right field to make the score 3-2. Following a Jake Hendricks double and a Jayden Fleck hit by pitch, Ben Heichel belted a three-run homer over the center field fence to put SMSU ahead 5-3.
 
UMD had a great chance to cut into the SMSU lead in the fourth, loading the bases with two outs, but Mustang starter Spencer Schroeder worked out of the jam coaxing a fly out to end the inning.
 
SMSU came right back in the bottom of the frame to add to the lead once again using a big two-out rally. With runners on first and second and two outs, Lanoue dropped a single just inside the left field line to score Connor Johnson. Moments later Hendricks drilled a two-run double into the right-center field gap to extend the SMSU lead to 8-3.
 
Spencer Schroeder earned the victory firing the first five innings and allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out two and walked two to improve to 2-1. Teddy Broxterman entered the game with the bases loaded and no outs in the seventh and retired three of the four batters he faced, including a pair of strikeouts to record his third save of the season.
 
The Mustangs finished the game with 11 hits with Johnson, Lanoue, Hendricks and Strommen all collecting two hits each. All eight of SMSU runs came with two outs.
 
In game two, UMD took advantage of a pair walks to plate one run via sac fly in the top of the first to take an early 1-0 advantage.
 
SMSU answered right back in the home half of the first as Nathan Kuhn smacked a one-out double and scored one batter later on a run-scoring by Lanoue.
 
SMSU went ahead in the bottom of the second as Heichel led off with single and was followed by a two-run homer over the left field fence by Strommen. It was his first round-tripper of the season.
 
The Mustangs added to the lead in the fourth, loading the bases with two walks and a hit by pitch. The Bulldogs turned a double play to erase the lead runner and have a chance to escape the inning with no damage. But as the Mustangs did in game one, they came through with a pair of two-out clutch hits once again. Johnson delivered first with a two-run double to give SMSU a 5-2 lead. After Kuhn worked a walk and both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch, Lanoue drilled a two-run single to right to push the Mustang lead to 7-2.
 
UMD hit a solo homer in the fifth to make the score 7-3 and it remained a four-run lead until the seventh. Fleck started the rally with a walk and was followed by a mammoth two-run blast by Heichel over the right field wall to give the Mustangs a 9-3 lead. It was the team-leading sixth home run of the season for Heichel.
 
Wesley Sarsland, making just his second start of the season, tossed the first 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits with four walks and a pair of strikeouts.
 
Alex Jorgensen recorded the final out in the fifth and then fired two more scoreless innings to record the victory and improve to 2-0. He allowed a pair of hits while recording one strikeout and walking one. Spencer Rudnik worked a perfect eighth inning while John Bezdicek fired a scoreless ninth to seal the win.
 
SMSU held an 8-4 hit advantage in the nightcap with Johnson, Lanoue and Heichel each finishing with two hits.
 
Southwest Minnesota State next will travel to Bismarck, N.D., to face UMary in a three-game series starting on Friday with a doubleheader at 10 a.m. The three-game set was moved up one day due to poor weather expected on Sunday. Saturday's finale is schedule to begin at 12 p.m.