TUCSON, Ariz. – The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team capped off its eight-game road trip in Arizona on Sunday with a dramatic come-from-behind 10-8 victory over Carthage College (Wis.) at the Kino Sports Complex.
SMSU, which has now won five in a row, trailed 6-2 in the ninth, but scored eight runs on five hits and four walks to build a 10-6 lead. Carthage rallied with two runs in the bottom of the ninth, but left the tying run on first base.
The Firebirds had snapped a 2-2 game with four runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 6-2 advantage.
SMSU concluded its week-long trip to Tucson with a record of 6-2.
Owen Latendresse collected a career-high four hits, while
Andy Andresen tied a career-high with three hits to pace SMSU's 12-hit offensive attack. Latendresse also earned his first career pitching victory tossing 2/3 innings of inning.
In the ninth, SMSU used a pair of walks and a single by Andresen to load the bases.
Trey Runge worked a walk to score the first run and after a strikeout,
Jake Tauer walked to force in another run and cut the deficit to 6-4. A wild pitch scored another run before
Kip Gronholz dropped in an RBI single down the right field line to tie the game at 6-6. Latendresse then put SMSU in the lead for the first time with a bunt single to score Tauer.
Nick Brown then delivered the big blow—a triple down the right field line—to plate two more and push the lead to 9-6.
Jaxon Haase, who started the rally with a walk, added a check-swing run-scoring single to another and extend the margin to 10-6.
The Firebirds started the game's scoring pushing across two runs in the bottom of the third.
Carthage starting pitcher Bryce Schaum was in complete control for most of the game retiring 13 straight Mustangs hitters from the second to the sixth inning. Latendresse was finally able to break through with a two-out single in the sixth.
Nick Brown followed with a high fly ball in shallow center field that was misplayed for an error and allowing Latendresse to score all the way from first base.
SMSU would tie the game in the seventh with Andresen smacking a one-out single.
Trey Runge followed with a bad-hop single to shortstop to put runners on the corners.
Jackson Bates tied the score moments later with a sac bunt to score Andresen and make the score 2-2.
CC (3-6), which was held to four hits through seven innings, snapped the deadlock in the home half of the eighth with four runs on four hits highlighted by three doubles.
After SMSU took the lead in the ninth, CC rallied with a pair of runs, but
Brady Brosz retired two of the four batters he faced to secure the win and his first career save.
Kolby Kiser made the start on the mound for the Mustangs and completed a solid 5 2/3 innings with a career-high tying seven strikeouts. It's the third time this season he has recorded seven strikeouts. He allowed two runs on four hits, while hitting two batters and walking none.
Cameron Jensen tossed 1 2/3 innings and allowing two runs on two hits with two strikeouts.
Ansen Dulas also pitched in relief for the Mustangs.
Southwest Minnesota State will now turn its attention to Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play starting next Saturday and Sunday with a three-game series at Wayne State College.
