Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team earned a big road split on Thursday night defeating nationally-ranked Augustana, 10-8, in game two of a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader at Karras Park Home of Ronken Field. Augustana scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to earn a 4-3 walk-off win in the opener.
 
SMSU, which earned its first win over a Top 25 team since May 4, 2019, versus St. Cloud State, improves to 3-4 overall, 2-3 NSIC, while Augustana dropped to 7-2 overall, 3-2 NSIC. All four of SMSU's losses have been by one run with three losses via walk-off. Augustana is ranked No. 4 in this week's Collegiate Baseball poll and No. 19 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll.
 
The Mustangs cracked out 14 hits in in the nightcap in building a 10-4 lead after eight innings.
 
Brodie Smith, Nathan Kuhn and Matt Bezdicek each finished the game with three hits, while Robbie Smith added two hits off the bench. Brodie Smith closed the game with a career-high three RBIs and scored two runs, while Kuhn scored a pair of runs.
 
Freshman starting pitcher Kolby Kiser gave the Mustangs a solid four-plus innings allowing one earned run on two hits. Spencer Schroeder (1-0) tossed 2 2/3 innings to earn the win, while Teddy Broxterman pitched the final 2 1/3 innings with five strikeouts.
 
SMSU opened the scoring in the second inning as Chase McDaniel stole third and sprinted home on a throwing error by the catcher. Brodie Smith followed with an RBI single to score Jaxon Haase and make the score 2-0.
 
Holding a 2-1 lead in the fifth, the Mustangs added to the lead as Kip Gronholz hit a sac fly to score Kuhn.
 
Augustana came right back in the fifth as Jordan Barth belted a three-run homer off Schroeder to put the Vikings in the lead 4-3.
 
SMSU had a huge answer in the sixth to regain the lead with four runs on four hits. Brodie Smith started the scoring with RBI single before Jake Hendricks had an RBI ground out to put the Mustangs in the lead at 5-4. Kuhn would later score on a wild pitch to make the score 6-4 before Gronholz came through with a big two-out run-scoring single to push the lead to 7-4.
 
Schroeder fired a quick 1-2-3 sixth inning and the Mustangs bats stay hot in the seventh to expand the advantage. Chase McDaniel and Robbie Smith started the rally with singles before Brodie Smith made the score 8-4 with an RBI single. With two outs, Bezdicek came through with a two-run single to score Brodie Smith and Kuhn and give the Mustangs a 10-4 lead.
 
Schroeder retired the first two batters in the seventh before allowing a walk. Teddy Broxterman came in relief to face Barth and ended the rally with a ground out.
 
Broxterman retired the Vikings in order in the eighth before a big AU put together a big comeback attempt in the ninth. The Vikings loaded the bases behind a hit by pitch, a walk and single with one out. Broxterman recorded the second out via a strikeout before Barth belted a grand slam to trim the SMSU lead to 10-8. A single brought the tying run to the plate but Broxterman ended the game with a strikeout on a 3-2 pitch.
 
In game one, AU pushed across the game-winning run with a sac fly in the bottom of the seventh to earn the victory.
 
The Vikings scored two unearned runs in the first and then added a single run in the fourth to build a 3-0 lead.
 
The Mustangs would battle back and cut the deficit to 3-1 in the fifth with a two-out rally. Brodie Smith walked and advanced second on a Kuhn single before Hendricks smacked an RBI single to center field for the team's first run.
 
The game remained 3-1 until the seventh when the Mustangs once again put together a two-out rally. With one out, Andy Andresen walked and following a strikeout, Kuhn walked to put the tying run on base. Following a pitching change, Hendricks singled to load the bases before Bezdicek drilled a two-run single to center to tie the game at 3-3. SMSU used another walk to load the bases but a strikeout ended the inning.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, with one out, AU used a walk, an infield single and another walk to load the bases. Riley Johnson would then loft a deep fly to left to score the game-winning run.
 
SMSU freshman pitcher Hayden Molva was solid in his first career start, tossing six innings and allowing just one unearned run on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
 
Sam Nascak (0-1) suffered the loss for the Mustangs.
 
Kuhn continued his torrid start to the season finishing 3 for 3 with a walk and run scored, while Hendricks had two hits and an RBI.
 
Southwest Minnesota State continues road play this weekend with a four-game series versus Wayne State on Saturday and Sunday. The first three games of the series will be NSIC games while the fourth game will be a non-conference game.