Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State baseball team rallied from a 12-2 deficit with five runs in the both the eighth and ninth innings to send the game to extra-innings, but the University of Mary would answer with a four-run 10^th inning to earn an 18-14 victory in game two of a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader on Saturday at Legion Field.
 
UMary (17-16, 14-12 NSIC) won the opener 7-0 behind a dominating pitching performance from Austin Wagner, while in game two the Marauders' Calvin James was 5 for 7 with six RBIs and two home runs.
 
SMSU (11-22, 9-21 NSIC) had 13 hits in game two and took advantage of eight hit by pitches and 10 walks to load the bases in six of the first nine innings but would leave 19 runners on base. It was another gut-wrenching defeat for the Mustangs who have lost a combined 10 games in NSIC play by one run or extra-innings.
 
Wagner was outstanding, tossing six shutout innings, allowing just two hits with four strikeouts and one walk. Wagner tossed 70 pitches in the six innings with 53 for strikes. It was the second straight outstanding start for Wagner, who last Saturday fired five perfect innings versus Minnesota Duluth.
 
UMary pushed across a run in the second with a single, a passed ball and two-out RBI double by Dakota Finley.
 
The Marauders made the score 2-0 in the fourth as Calvin James led-off the frame with a solo home run.
 
The lead expanded to 5-0 in the fifth behind a pair of hits and two walks and then moved to 7-0 in the sixth on two more hits.
 
Nathan Kuhn, a double in the first and a Chase McDaniel bunt single in the third, were the only hits allowed by Wagner and reliever Mitch Oehme.
 
John Bezdicek (4-2) suffered the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits with nine strikeouts, three walks and two hit batters in 4 2/3 innings.
 
In game two, UMary put together five hits, including a two-run homer from James to build a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The Marauders made it 6-0 in the second with a three-run homer from Ty Jones and then added a solo home run from Derek Shoen in the fourth to push the lead to 7-0.
 
Trailing 8-0 in the fifth, SMSU was finally able to push across a couple of runs. Matt Bezdicek smacked an RBI ground-rule double to plate Nathan Kuhn and was followed by an RBI single by Kip Gronholz.
 
UMary countered with a four-run sixth inning to build a 12-2 advantage but SMSU wouldn't go down without a fight. SMSU had a hit and took advantage of a walk and a pair of hit by pitches to score two runs. Jake Hendricks was hit by a pitch to score the first run with Matt Bezdicek moments later also hit by a pitch to make the score 12-4.
 
SMSU would leave the bases loaded in the seventh, but finally broke through with a big eighth inning to make things interesting. Hendricks started the rally with a walk and moved to third on a single by Matt Bezdicek and error on the right fielder. McDaniel was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out before Keenan Wenzel drove home a run with a sac fly. SMSU wasn't done with two outs as Max Kalenberg, Brodie Smith, Derek Smith and Kuhn hit four straight RBI singles to cut the UMary lead to 12-9 and bring the tying run to the plate. The rally however ended with a strikeout.
 
UMary picked up two of the runs back in the ninth as James drilled a two-run home run—his third home run of the day.
 
SMSU wouldn't go away and tied the game in the ninth and was one pitch away from earning the miracle comeback win. The Mustangs scored the five runs on just two hits, but took advantage of two errors and wild Marauder pitching. Kalenberg started the scoring with a two-run single before Brodie Smith hit a ground ball to short that was misplayed to score another run. Derek Smith followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to one-run and moments later Kuhn walked one batter to load the bases with one out. Hendricks would tie the game at 14 with a sac fly to score Brodie Smith. Matt Bezdicek would re-load the bases with a walk bringing up Gronholz. UMary pitcher Paxton Miller would fall behind 3-1 in the count, but he rallied back to end the game-winning attempt for the Mustangs with a strikeout to keep the game tied.
 
UMary would answer in a big way in the 10^th scoring four runs on two hits, two walks and two hit by pitches to take an 18-14 lead.
 
SMSU finished game two with 13 hits with Kalenberg leading the way with a 3 for 5 performance with three RBIs and two runs scored. Matt Bezdicek also had a big game with three hits and two RBIs. Brodie Smith and Derek Smith both added two hits and two RBIs.
 
Jakes Wensmann pitched the first five innings for the Mustangs. He allowed eight runs (four earned) on 10 hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. Jared Tschetter (2-3) suffered the loss allowing four runs in 1/3 on an inning.
 
The two teams conclude the series on Sunday with 12 p.m. game at Legion Field.