SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana, ranked in the Top 20 in two national polls, used a pair of outstanding pitching performances to sweep Southwest Minnesota State University in NSIC college baseball on Saturday at Ronken Field. The Vikings won the opener 10-2 and completed the sweep with a 4-0 victory in game two.
The two games were originally scheduled to be played in Marshall, but were moved to Ronken Field due to poor field conditions. The two teams conclude the three-game series on Sunday with a single-game starting at 12 p.m.
The Vikings (24-6-1, 14-3 NSIC) cracked out 16 hits and used nine strikeouts from pitcher Tanner Brown to earn the game one victory, while in game two Ryan Jares struck out 11 batters in 8 1/3 innings to earn the victory. It's the third straight start he has recorded 10-plus strikeouts.
In game one, SMSU had several chances to take an early lead in the first three innings, but failed to come up with the big hit stranding four runners in scoring position against Brown, the program's all-time strikeout leader.
The Vikings, which finished the opener with 16 hits, scored first in the top of the third inning with a run-scoring single to take a 1-0 advantage. The lead expanded in the fourth behind a two-run homer from Jordan Barth and two more run scoring hits to make the score 5-0.
The lead moved to 6-0 in the fifth behind a solo home run by Will Olson, while Barth added another two-run homer in the seventh to make the score 8-0.
Trailing 10-0 in the seventh, SMSU broke through on the scoreboard with an RBI single by
Jaxon Haase and a run-scoring single by Issac Nett.
Keenan Wenzel and
Max Kalenberg each had two hits for the Mustangs, while
Andy Andresen, Haase, Nett and
Robbie Smith each had one. SMSU had a runner on base in all seven innings, including runners in scoring position in five of the seven frames.
Mustang freshman starting pitcher
Ryan Chmielewski (2-4) fired six innings, allowing six runs on 11 hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
Logan McCray tossed the seventh and allowed four runs on five hits with one strikeout.
In game two, SMSU (8-17, 1-12 NSIC) threated in the second with singles by Nett and Andresen along with a walk to
Nick Brown, but a strikeout ended the inning keeping the game scoreless.
The Vikings snapped the scoreless game in the third plating three runs on two hits and two walks off Mustang starting pitcher
Kolby Kiser. AU added to the lead taking advantage of a one-out hit by pitch and a double to score another run and build a 4-0 lead after five and a half innings.
After a lead-off single by Wenzel in the third, Jares was dominate for the Vikings as he retired 18 of the next 19 batters he faced. The Mustangs were able to mount a rally in the ninth as Haase started the frame with a hit by pitch and with one-out
Owen Latendresse singled to put runners on the corners. AU's Thomas Bruss entered the game and retired the final two batters via ground out to secure his first save of the season.
SMSU closed game two with four hits as Wenzel, Nett, Latendresse and Andresen each collecting one hit. AU finished game two with seven hits.
Kiser (0-5) suffered the loss as he allowed four runs on five hits with six strikeouts, two walks and three hit batters.
Kobe Lovell was solid in relief firing two scoreless frames and allowing just one hit, while
Brady Petron tossed a scoreless ninth inning.
