SIOUX CITY, IOWA – The Southwest Minnesota State baseball team opened the 2022 season on Tuesday dropping a pair of games to Briar Cliff University at Bishop Mueller Field.
 
In the opener, SMSU committed three errors leading to seven unearned runs and walked seven batters in BCU's 10-6 victory. The Chargers completed the sweep scoring five runs with two outs in the last four innings in earning a 6-3 victory in game two.
 
In game one, SMSU opened the scoring in the top of the first with Jaxon Haase plating Robbie Smith with an RBI single.
 
BCU countered with two runs in the bottom of the first, including one scoring on throwing error, to take a 2-1 lead.
 
SMSU regained the lead in the third as Chase McDaniel started the rally with a single and later scored on a run-scoring single by Issac Nett. Following a stolen base by Nett and a then a wild pitch that moved him to third, Keenan Wenzel hit a sac fly to score Nett and put SMSU in the lead at 3-2.
 
BCU used a lead-off walk and a two-out RBI double to tie the score at 3-3 after three innings of play.
 
SMSU went back on top in the fourth as Caden Gardow singled and moved to second on a walk by Andy Andresen. A fly out moved both runners up before McDaniel put SMSU in the lead with an RBI single and moments later Haase scored another run with a ground out to make the score 5-3.
 
The Chargers answered back in a big way in the home half of the fourth taking advantage of a lead-off walk and later a pair of two-out Mustang errors to score six runs on just two hits and build a 9-5 advantage.
 
Trailing 10-5 in the seventh, the Mustangs pushed across one more run as Hunter Krommenhoek smacked a two-out RBI double to score Haase.
 
Kolby Kiser (0-1) started for SMSU and lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing six runs (two earned) on four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.
 
SMSU, which out-hit BCU 9-7 in game one, was led by McDaniel and Haase, who both finished with two hits.
 
In game two, SMSU opened the scoring in the third inning as Jackson Bates singled with two outs and sprinted around the bases one batter later as Jake Tauer hammered RBI double.
 
BCU quickly tied the game in the bottom of the following a lead-off double and a two-out run-scoring single. The Chargers moved in front in the fourth taking advantage of a lead-off single and a two-out wild pitch to take a 2-1 lead.
 
BCU would extend the lead to 4-1 in the fifth on a two-run home run.
 
SMSU cut the deficit to one-run in the sixth behind an RBI single from Owen Latendresse and Payton Nash RBI fielder's choice. BCU once again had a big response in the bottom of the inning scoring two insurance runs with two outs on an RBI single and a wild pitch.
 
SMSU would bring the tying run to the plate with no outs in the seventh, but three strikeouts ended the comeback attempt.
 
Ryan Chmielewski (0-1) tossed the first four innings for the Mustangs and allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and one walk.
 
Tauer and Latendresse led the Mustangs with two hits apiece with Jackson Bates and Nick Brown each collecting one hit.  
 
A total of six pitchers appeared in the two games for SMSU, recording 18 strikeouts, but also walked 12 and hit four batters.
 
SMSU continues non-conference play on Thursday with a 10 a.m. doubleheader versus Minnesota Duluth at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.