Game 1 Box

MARSHALL, Minn. – Nationally ranked St. Cloud State earned an 18-6 victory over Southwest Minnesota State in game one of a three-game series at Legion Field on Saturday.  
 
The game started on Friday afternoon but was suspended in the top of the fifth inning due to rain. SCSU, ranked No. 10/14 nationally in two polls, jumped on the board early one pushing across five runs in the top of the first, highlighted by a grand slam by Toran Shahidi, to build an early advantage.
 
The Huskies added to the lead in the second behind a two-run homer from Matt Meyer to extend the lead to 7-0.
 
SMSU scored its first run of the game in the bottom of the second as Tanner Strommen and Jake Hendricks singled to open the frame before Derek Smith hit a sac fly to score Strommen.
 
SCSU belted another two-run homer in the fourth to take a 9-1 lead after four innings and then added four more runs in the fifth to build the lead to 13-1.
 
Ben Heichel belted a two-run homer for SMSU in the fifth to cut the deficit to 13-3 after five innings.
 
SCSU hit another two-run shot in the sixth to make the score 15-3, but Jake Hendricks answered with a solo homer in the bottom half to cut the lead to 15-4.
 
Mustang senior second baseman Jayden Fleck pitched the final frame of the game, making his first collegiate pitching appearance, recording one strikeout while allowing three runs on four hits.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, SMSU pushed across two runs, but the highlight of the frame was a pinch-hit home run to lead-off the frame by Logan Funk in his first collegiate at bat. Strommen knocked in the final run of the inning with an infield RBI single.
 
John Bezdicek (2-4), who had allowed just one home run all season and four in his career entering the game, had three long-balls hit against him and allowed nine runs on eight hits with four walks and two strikeouts.
 
Hendricks, Strommen and Brady Lanoue each had two of SMSU's 11 hits. SCSU finished the game with 17 hits including five home runs.