Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Southwest Minnesota State tied a school single-game record clubbing nine doubles to help earn an 8-3 victory over Briar Cliff (Iowa) in game two of a non-conference doubleheader at Bishop Mueller Field on Wednesday.
 
BCU, which is 11-2 overall, won the opener via walk-off with a two-run rally in the seventh inning secure a 3-2 victory.
 
Today was the first two games of the season for SMSU, which played the twinbill without head coach Paul Blanchard, who missed the games due to the passing of his mother.
 
With today's non-conference games the only scheduled for SMSU prior to starting league play next week, the Mustangs used 11 pitchers in the two games, while many of the position players in uniform got at least one at bat.
 
In game two, Brodie Smith led-off the game with a walk and moved to third on a single by Nathan Kuhn. Matt Bezdicek pushed across the first run with a ground out before Kip Gronholz came through with a big two-out double to score Kuhn and give SMSU a 2-0 advantage after one inning.
 
The Mustangs added to the lead in the second as Derek Smith hit a ground ball up the middle and hustled the entire way for a double. He would later score on a Brodie Smith double off the fence before Kuhn hammered a double to straight-away centerfield to push the margin to 4-0. The double parade continued as Matt Bezdicek and Jake Hendricks drilled run-scoring doubles to make the score 6-0.
 
SMSU added a run in the fourth with more extra-base hits as Kuhn started the frame with a double and later scored on a two-out double by Gronholz to extend the lead to 7-0.
 
BCU pushed across a run in the home half of the fourth but SMSU answered in the top of the fifth. Hunter Krommenhoek started the rally with a line single and came and later crossed the plate on a double by Max Kalenberg.
 
Jake Wensmann (1-0) started on the mound for SMSU and fired three shutout innings with five strikeouts, while allowing one walk and two hits in picking up the victory. Spencer Schroeder, Hayden Molva, Kobe Lovell and Kolby Kiser all pitched in relief for the Mustangs. Molva, Lovell and Kiser were all making their Mustang debuts and combined to strike out five batters.
 
Kuhn led SMSU's 15-hit attack in game two with three hits and three runs scored, while Gronholz and Derek Smith each collected two hits.
 
SMSU used six pitchers in the opener with starter John Bezdicek firing three dominate innings with eight strikeouts and one walk.
 
The Mustangs opened the scoring in the top of the second as Matt Bezdicek drilled a solo home run over the left field fence to give SMSU a 1-0 lead.
 
SMSU added to the lead in the third as Chase McDaniel started off the inning with a single and moved to third on a failed pick-off attempt. Brodie Smith followed with an RBI ground out to make the score 2-0.
 
The Mustangs had a big chance to blow the game open in the fourth loading the bases with no outs but a pop out and double play ended the scoring threat.
 
BCU answered in the home half of the fourth with a solo home run off of SMSU relief pitcher Jeremiah Van De Steeg.
 
SMSU would maintain the lead until the seventh inning when BCU made its comeback. The Chargers entered the final frame with just two hits but with one out, Mustang reliever Shawn Williams walked the first batter he faced and moments later was called for a balk to push the tying run to second base. Following a strikeout, BCU tied the game with a single to right field that just got through the infield to tie the game at 2-2. Teddy Broxterman came into pitch and walked the first batter he faced before the Chargers won the game with a walk-off single to center field.
 
Ansen Dulas fired a scoreless fifth inning for the Mustangs, while Sam Nascak retired all four batters he faced in the sixth and seven innings.
 
Matt Bezdicek recorded two of SMSU's five hits in the opener with Kuhn, Andy Andresen and McDaniel each finishing with one hit.
 
Southwest Minnesota State returns the diamond on March 20-21 opening up its 36-game Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule with a three-game series at Upper Iowa.