MARSHALL, Minn.—The Southwest Minnesota State baseball team walked off Minnesota State in the ninth inning in game one to win 10-9, but suffered a 6-5 extra-innings loss to the Mavericks in game two, splitting its doubleheader on Saturday at Legion Field.
It marks the first Mustang win over the Mavericks since March 21, 2014, snapping a 19-game losing streak in the series.
SMSU ends the regular season at 26-22 overall and 20-19 in NSIC play, marking the first time since the 2010 season that the Mustangs have recorded 20 or more wins in conference contests.
Minnesota State jumped at the bit in game one, plating its first two runs in the first inning. The first two Maverick batters were walked and hit with a pitch before a passed ball shifted both runners into scoring position with no outs. Ahead 2-0 in the count, Zach Stroh hit a two-RBI single to left field but got caught gambling on the throw to second for the first out, before a groundout and strikeout ended the inning.
After a quiet bottom of the first and top of the second, the Mustang bats came alive in an explosive second inning.
Max Kalenberg drew a walk to get SMSU started before a single to left field from
Caleb Gardow forced a throwing error from the outfield to put both runners in scoring position.
Peyton Nash came up big on the next play, smashing a two-RBI single to left field to tie the game at 2-2.
In the following at-bat,
Chase McDaniel belted his 11th home run of the season to push the Mustangs up 4-2.
Keenan Wenzel drew a walk before
Isaac Nett beat out a bunt, again giving SMSU a pair of runners.
Jake Tauer was the next bat to come through, sending a fly ball straight into the sunlight that confused the MSU outfielders and dropped into center field for a two-RBI single.
Owen Latendresse capped off the onslaught with a double to right-center to put the Mustangs up 7-2.
MSU responded in the third with a rally of its own. A home run from the lead-off batter cut the deficit to four runs before Zach Stroh got on second base due to an error. Louis Magers singled to plate the next run before a walk and wild pitch again gave the Mavericks a pair of runners on second and third.
A strikeout followed by a flyout seemed as if the inning was coming to a close before MSU's Ryan Friedges knocked a two-RBI single to left field to cut the deficit to 7-6.
A Minnesota State pitching change failed to stop the Mustangs barrage in the third as Gardow tallied a lead-off double to get things started. Nash drew a walk in the following at-bat before McDaniel singled up the middle to plate Gardow and increased the margin to two runs. A deep fly ball to left field from
Isaac Nett scored Nash and moved the score to 9-6.
Both teams were held hitless in the fourth inning before the Mavericks rallied again in the fifth. With two outs, Friedges battled back from down 0-2 and drew a walk to put two runners on base. Derek Kay took advantage of the opportunity and blasted a home run over the right field fence to tie the game 9-9.
After uneventful sixth and seventh innings, game one turned into a nine-inning game.
The Mavericks threatened in the ninth after putting a runner on third base with just one out. In a 1-1 count, the Mustang infield shifted to lock down the left side before a ground ball was hit directly to McDaniel. McDaniel gunned the ball home to catch the runner at the plate and stump the MSU effort.
Back-to-back singles to start the ninth put the Mustangs in a good spot. However, consecutive strikeouts in the following two at-bats made the situation look grim.
Chase McDaniel was next at the dish, and clutched up with a single through the right side, plating Latendresse and walking it off 10-9.
Carter Petron got the start, allowing nine runs on nine hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings.
Cameron Jensen (3-2) limited the Mavericks to just two hits through the final four innings en route to the win. Jensen struck out three batters.
The Mavericks threw three pitchers in game one, with Ethan Stade (0-1) ultimately being given the loss after allowing the walk-off single.
SMSU tallied 13 hits in the win, with McDaniel going 3 for 6 at the plate with four RBI.
MSU was the first to break through in game two as well, with Zach Stroh again having his way. Stroh homered to right field to put the Mavericks up 2-0 early.
SMSU responded in the bottom of the second.
Jaxon Haase smacked a lead-off double but was caught in a double play after Kalenberg roped a liner back to the pitcher.
Jake Tauer drew a walk to keep the Mustangs alive before moving to second on a passed ball. Nash singled down the left field line to plate Tauer and cut the deficit to one run.
The Mustangs were the next to score, this time in the fourth inning. Haase reached second on an errant throw from the shortstop before Kalenberg walked to put two on with no outs. A single to left field from Nash loaded the bases for Gardow who hit a deep ball to center field just out of the reach of the diving center fielder to score two runs and give SMSU a 3-2 lead.
Jaxon Haase unloaded on the first pitch of his at-bat in the fifth to hit a home run and move the lead to 5-2.
The Mavericks would not go away, scoring a pair of runs thanks to a home run from Louis Magers and later a run on a passed ball to tie the game at 5-5.
Kobe Lovell entered in relief in the eighth inning for
Bennett Knapper. Zach Stroh again took advantage of a fresh pitcher, recording his second home run of the game and the game-winning run.
Lovell (0-2) was tabbed with the loss after giving up the game-winning run in the eighth inning. Knapper threw the first seven innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits and three walks.
Shay Endres gave up one hit before closing out the game.
Peyton Nash led the SMSU bats going 3 for 4 at the dish.
The Mustangs earned the No. 6 seed in the NSIC tournament and will face off with the No. 3 seed Minnesota Crookston on Wednesday, May 8, in Bismarck, N.D., with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.
