BISMARCK, N.D. – St. Cloud State, the No. 4 seed, scored five runs in the eighth inning to pull away and earn a 10-3 victory over No. 5 seed Southwest Minnesota State in the opening round of the eight-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament at Municipal Ballpark on Wednesday afternoon.
SMSU (27-16) will now face No. 8 seed Wayne State in an elimination game on Thursday in Mandan, N.D., with first pitch at 11 a.m. The game time was moved ahead one hour due to potential rain. SMSU defeated WSC three times earlier this season in Wayne, Neb.
SCSU (29-17) will advance to face top-seeded Augustana on Thursday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
After SMSU pulled to within 5-3 in the top of the eighth inning, SCSU answered with a five runs on four hits in the home half of the frame to extend the margin and defeat SMSU for the seventh straight time dating to back to 2019. SCSU finished the game with 11 hits, while also walking eight times and taking advantage of four SMSU errors.
Chase McDaniel led the Mustangs' 10-hit attack with a pair of home runs, while
Peyton Nash and
Isaac Nett both collected a pair of hits.
SCSU opened the game's scoring with a clutch two-out, two-run double by Brayden Jacobson in the bottom of the first inning to build a 2-0 advantage. Sam Riola added to the lead in the second inning with a two-out run-scoring single to push the SCSU lead to 3-0.
The Huskies would add another run in the fourth to extend the margin to 4-0. The Mustangs had several opportunities to score early in the game but grounded into a double and then lined into a double play to end the second and third innings respectively. SMSU also had runners on the corners with one out, but a foul out and strikeout ended the rally attempt.
SMSU finally broke into the scoring column in the fifth inning as
Jaxon Haase reached on a two-out infield single and was followed by an opposite field home run to left-center field by McDaniel to cut the deficit in half at 4-2.
Down 4-2 in the seventh, SMSU nearly pulled to within one as
Isaac Nett drilled a two-double off the right field wall, but a pop out moments later ended the inning.
SCSU scored unearned run in the seventh to make the score 5-2, but in the eighth inning McDaniel hammered a lead-off home run to right field to trim the Huskie advantage to 5-3. SCSU would maintain the lead with an outstanding defensive play later in the inning to keep the two-run lead. With
Max Kalenberg on first following a two-out walk,
Jake Tauer hit a slicing fly ball down the left field line, but SCSU's Mitch Gumbko made a diving catch to save a run and end the inning.
SCSU answered with the decisive eighth inning, scoring a pair of unearned runs to seal the win.
Ryan Chmielewski (4-2) started for the Mustangs and lasted 3 1/3 innings, allowed four runs on five hits with three strikeouts and four walks.
Kolby Kiser was solid in relief, firing 3 2/3 innings with three strikeouts, three walks, while allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits.
Brady Brosz and
Kobe Lovell also pitched in the eighth inning for the Mustangs.
Riley Ahern (7-3) earned the victory, allowing two runs on seven hits in five innings.
