WAYNE, Neb. – The Southwest Minnesota State baseball team returned to Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Thursday opening a four-game series with Minot State and coming away with a doubleheader sweep by scores of 5-1 and 10-3 played at Hank Overin Field.
The series was scheduled to be played in Marshall this weekend, but was relocated due to expected poor weather. The two teams will conclude the series on Friday with a doubleheader in South Sioux City, Iowa, starting at 1:30 p.m.
SMSU has won four straight and improves to 10-8 overall, 4-6 NSIC, while MSU drops to 7-13 overall, 4-6 NSIC.
In game one, Mustang starting pitcher
Kolby Kiser (3-1) was in control as he tossed a seven-inning complete game two-hitter with one strikeout. He allowed a bunt single in the fifth and a two-out single in the sixth. He closed the game walking three and hitting a batter.
SMSU finished the game with nine hits as
Chase McDaniel,
Isaac Nett and
Jaxon Haase each collected with two hits.
SMSU opened the scoring in the second with Haase starting the frame with a single and moving to second on walk to
Max Kalenberg. Following a sac bunt by
Peyton Nash, Haase would sprint across the plate on a wild pitch before
Caleb Gardow smacked a run-scoring single to plate Kalenberg and give SMSU a 2-0 lead.
MSU answered with a run in the third behind two walks, a sac bunt and sac fly to cut the SMSU lead in half.
The Mustangs however countered in the third with McDaniel and Nett starting the rally with back-to-back singles. After a double steal, Owen Latendress pushed across the first run with a sac fly before Nash drilled a two-run double to push the margin to 5-1.
The support was plenty for Kiser, who closed the game tossing 89 pitches with 61 for strikes.
In game two, SMSU trailed 1-0 in the third before
Keenan Wenzel blasted a solo home run over the left field wall to tie the game.
SMSU exploded in the fourth with a four-run inning collecting six hits. Latendresse and Haase started the inning with singles and came around to score moments later on a two-double by Kalenberg. Nash drilled an RBI double to plate Kalenberg before Nett capped the scoring with an infield RBI single to extend the lead to 5-1.
The lead moved to 6-1 in the sixth with Wenzel smacking a double and scoring on a two-out infield single by McDaniel.
MSU answered back with two runs in the seventh and loaded the bases with two outs before Cameron Jenson closed the inning with a ground out.
SMSU added important insurance runs in the seventh behind a sac fly from Kalenberg with another run scoring on a wild pitch to make the score 8-3. The Mustangs put the game away in the eighth with McDaniel belting a two-run home run to right field.
Carter Petron started for SMSU and tossed the first four innings allowing one run on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Jensen, the final of five relief pitchers, earned the win firing 2 1/3 shutout innings with two strikeouts and two walks.
SMSU racked up 13 hits in the nightcap with Wenzel leading the way 3 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI. McDaniel, Nett, Latendresse and Nash all closed the game with two hits apiece.
