MARSHALL, Minn. – Carter Petron tossed Southwest Minnesota State's first complete game nine-inning shutout since 2015 to help the Mustangs earn a 3-0 victory in game two and salvage a doubleheader split with Concordia-St. Paul on Friday at Legion Field.
CSP (16-11, 8-10 NSIC) scored six runs after two outs in the top of the seventh to rally and stun SMSU 9-5 in game one.
Petron improved to 4-1 on the season scattering six hits, while walking four, hitting one batter and recording five strikeouts with his twin brother, Brady, behind the plate. He is the first Mustang pitcher since Mitch Wurm in 2015 to toss a nine-inning shutout.
SMSU (15-11, 9-8 NSIC) scored its three runs in the fourth inning taking advantage of a CSP error and a clutch two-out hit. With one out,
Owen Latendresse single and promptly stole second. Following a walk to
Jaxon Haase,
Max Kalenberg hit an infield single to load the bases.
Peyton Nash pushed across the first run with a sac fly before an error on the CSP right fielder plated Haase.
Jake Tauer capped the scoring with a big run-scoring single to push the score to 3-0.
The run support was plenty for Petron, who tossed 114 pitches with 73 for strikes, while recording two strikeouts in the final frame.
SMSU collected seven hits in the nightcap with Kalenberg closing with two hits.
Chase McDaniel,
Keenan Wenzel, Tauer, Nash and Latendresse all finished with one hit.
In the opener, SMSU was twice just one strike away from earning a two-run victory, but CSP answered with a huge two-out rally. With two outs, CSP used a walk, a single and a walk to load the bases. Justin McGuigan tied the score with a two-run single to right field with Kal Brohmer sliding into home and just beating the throw from SMSU outfielder
Peyton Nash. CSP would use three more walks and took advantage of an SMSU error to score four more runs and earn the 9-5 victory.
SMSU opened the game's scoring with a Latendresse two-run double to score McDaniel and
Isaac Nett.
CSP scored a run in the second and two more in the third off SMSU starter
Kolby Kiser to take a 3-2 advantage. SMSU however rallied in the home half of the third with McDaniel smacking a leadoff double with Nett following with his team-leading ninth home run of the season.
SMSU added to the lead in the fifth as Wenzel drilled a solo home run off the scoreboard in left-center field.
Kiser finished the game firing six innings and allowing three runs on nine hits with five strikeouts and four walks.
Cameron Jensen (1-2) suffered the loss in relief allowing five runs (four earned) with three walks and one strikeout.
Jerod Cyrus allowed an unearned run and one hit with two walks.
SMSU was limited to five hits in the opener with Nett finishing 2 for 4 with McDaniel, Wenzel and Latendresse each collecting one hit.
The two clubs conclude the series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday at Legion Field.
