Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

FAYETTE, Iowa – The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team opened Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Saturday afternoon splitting a doubleheader with Upper Iowa winning the opener 7-4, before UIU rallied from a 4-0 deficit to earn a 5-4 victory in game two.
 
The two teams will conclude the three-game series on Sunday with a 12 p.m. nine-inning game at Robertson Woods Field.
 
In game one, SMSU started the game strong in the first inning as Nathan Kuhn ripped a one-out double and was followed by a two-run opposite field home run by Jake Hendricks.
 
SMSU moved the score to 3-0 in the third as Kuhn walked to start the frame and later scored as Matt Bezdicek reached on an error by the UIU shortstop.
 
The Mustangs added to the lead in the fourth as Jaxon Haase doubled to start the inning and Andy Andresen followed with a walk moments later. With two outs, Bezdicek came through with a clutch two-run double down the left field line to make the score 5-0.
 
UIU scored its first run of the game in the home half of the fourth, but SMSU answered in the fifth with a two-out rally. Andresen walked with two out and Brodie Smith followed with a single before Kuhn came through with a run-scoring single to make the score 6-1.
 
The Peacocks pushed across two runs in the fifth to trim the deficit to 6-3, but once again the Mustangs had an answered as Bezdicek hit a lead-off homer in the sixth—his second long ball of the season—to give his squad a 7-3 advantage.
 
UIU scored again in the sixth to make the score 7-4 and put together a big rally attempt in the bottom of the seventh, but the SMSU bullpen came through. UIU loaded the bases with one out, but Jared Tschetter came on closed the game with a strikeout and ground out to record the save and secure the victory.
 
Jake Wensmann (1-0) earned the win tossing four-plus innings, allowing three runs on four hits with one strikeout and two walks. Kobe Lovell tossed one shutout inning while Sam Nascak pitched 1 1/3 and allowed an unearned run.
 
SMSU out-hit UIU 10-8 in the opener with Bezdicek finishing 2 for 4 with career-high four RBIs. Kuhn, Hendricks and Haase each finished with two hits with Kuhn and Andresen both crossing the plate twice.
 
In game two, SMSU snapped a scoreless game in the third as Kuhn had an RBI double to score Haase, who walked to start the inning.
 
SMSU took advantage of two UIU errors in the fifth to score three runs on just one hit and build a 4-0 advantage. Kuhn reached on a throwing error by the third baseman to score Derek Smith, before Hendricks came through with a two-run single to score Brodie Smith and Haase.
 
UIU had a big answer in the home half of the fifth taking advantage of two walks and two-out, two-run bloop double to score four runs and tie the game.
 
SMSU had a great chance to regain the lead in the sixth as Kip Gronholz singled and moved to third as Chase McDaniel laid down a sac bunt and reached second on a throwing error by the third baseman. But UIU escaped the jam with a ground out, a strikeout and another ground out to keep the game tied.
 
The game remained tied until the seventh when the Peacocks used a lead-off walk, a sac bunt and a passed ball to put a runner at third with one out. Jake Hilmer then lofted a sac-fly to score the run and give UIU its first lead of the day at 5-4.
 
SMSU once again threatened in the eighth as Bezdicek started the frame with a walk and eventually reached third base with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts closed the inning with UIU maintain the 5-4 edge.
 
The Mustangs had a one-out walk in the ninth but a pair of fly outs ended the comeback attempt.
 
SMSU was held to just five hits in the game with Gronholz finishing with two hits, while Kuhn, Hendricks and McDaniel each had one.
 
Jeremiah Van De Steeg started on the mound for SMSU and lasted 4 2/3 inning and recorded six strikeouts, but allowed four hits, three walks and four runs. Teddy Broxterman (0-1) fired the final 3 1/3 innings and suffered the loss allowing three hits and one unearned run with a pair of strikeouts.