MANKATO, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State baseball team used a dominate start from Kolby Kiser to earn a game one victory over Minnesota Duluth, but SMSU failed to hold a late four-run lead in game two as UMD rallied for a walk-off 8-7 victory to earn a split in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference baseball on Sunday at ISG Field.
 
SMSU is now 1-5 overall, 1-5 NSIC, while UMD was playing its first two games of the season.
 
Kiser (1-1) was in complete control in the opener recording a career-high 13 strikeouts in tossing his second career complete game. He scattered four hits, while walking one and hitting one batter.
 
The Mustangs racked up a season-high 11 hits with Max Kalenberg coming through with one of the biggest hits in the game belting a three-run home run to break the game open in the sixth inning.
 
Isaac Nett, Owen Latendresse, Chase McDaniel and Keenan Wenzel each collected two hits in the victory.
 
SMSU opened the scoring in the first inning with Latendresse scoring on a wild pitch before Jake Tauer delivered a run-scoring double to plate Jaxon Haase.
 
UMD's Jack Puder hit an opposite field home run in the home half of the second inning to cut the SMSU lead to 2-1, but SMSU answered in the top of the third. McDaniel started the frame with a double and later scored as Kalenberg reached on a fielding error to make the score 3-1.
 
SMSU added to the lead in the fourth as Brady Peton and Nett walked before Latendresse singled to load the bases. McDaniel came through moments later with a run-scoring single to push the margin to 4-1.
 
The lead moved to 7-1 in the sixth as McDaniel and Haase walked before Kalenberg blasted his first home run of the season over the left field fence. SMSU would add two more runs in the seventh with Wenzel scoring on an error following a bunt single by Nett and Latendresse hitting a sac fly to plate Petron.
 
In game two, SMSU built a 6-2 lead in the seventh inning, but UMD rallied with a run in the seventh, two in the eighth and three more in the ninth to win via walk-off.
 
UMD scored an unearned run in the first before SMSU rallied with a big four-run third inning. With one out, Nett and Latendresse were each hit by pitches, before McDaniel drilled a 2-0 pitch for a base hit to tie the score at 1-1. Haase put SMSU in the lead hammering a two-double to left center to make the score 3-1. The Mustangs added another run as Kalenberg reached on an infield single and Haase sprinting home on the play after an errant throw from the Bulldog shortstop.
 
UMD would cut the deficit to 4-2 in the fourth inning with a solo home run by Trevor Gustafson.
 
SMSU starter Carter Petron tossed the first four innings before being relieved for Shay Endres in the fifth. Endres would toss a pair of shutout frames before SMSU would add to the lead in the seventh. McDaniel started the rally with a single and moved to second on a walk to Haase. After a passed ball moved both runners up a base, a wild pitch would score McDaniel before Kalenberg produced an RBI ground out to push the lead to 6-2.
 
UMD would score an unearned run in the seventh before using a two-out rally in the eighth. Endres retired the first two batters he faced in the frame, but back-to-back home runs by Puder and Gustafson cut the SMSU advantage to 6-4. The Bulldogs weren't finished and put two runners on base to end Endres' night, but the inning came to a close as Cameron Jensen ended the inning with a big strikeout to preserve the one-run lead.
 
SMSU added an insurance run in the ninth with Latendresse reaching on a one-out single and later scoring on a wild pitch.
 
UMD however would answer in the ninth to rally for the victory. Jensen walked the leadoff batter of the inning before picking-up a strikeout. An infield single and another walk loaded the bases with one out. Puder would tie the game with an opposite field double just inside the third base bag and following an intentional walk, Oran Hinkle chopped a single over Kalenberg at third base to plate the game-winning run.
 
SMSU closed game two with seven hits as McDaniel and Haase each collected a pair of hits.
 
Petron allowed two runs (one earned) and five hits in four innings with three strikeouts and one walk. Endres fired 3 2/3 innings with three strikeouts, while allowing four hits and three runs (two earned). Jensen (0-1) suffered the loss giving up three runs on three hits in 2/3 innings of an inning.
 
The two teams will conclude the four-game set on Monday with a doubleheader starting at 10:30 a.m.