TUCSON, Ariz. – Ryan Chmielewski struck out a career-high 12 in eight innings of work to pace the Southwest Minnesota State baseball team to a 1-0 victory over Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on Saturday in SMSU's first game at the Tucson Invitational.
 
Chmielewski (2-0), who fired a two-hit shutout with eight strikeouts in his first start of the season on Feb. 25 versus Minnesota Duluth, was outstanding again allowing three hits and no walks. He closed the game tossing 100 pitches with 70 for strikes. Cameron Jensen closed the victory for the Mustangs with his first save of the season retiring all three batters he faced.
 
The lone run came in the fourth as Cory Bantam led off with a walk and moved to second on a two-out single by Jared Cortez. Henry Hammrich followed with a clutch two-out run-scoring single to give the Mustangs a 1-0 lead.
 
DWU had a big chance to tie the game in the seventh putting runners on the corners with no outs following back-to-back singles. Chmielewski however worked out of the jam, coaxing a fielder's choice ground out, strikeout and fly out to end the Tigers threat.
 
SMSU had several chances to add insurance runs in the final two innings but failed to get another big hit. Levi Lampert opened the eighth with a walk and moved to second after a hit by a pitch to Owen Latendresse. Following a strikeout, both runners moved up on a wild pitch, but two more strikeouts ended the Mustang threat.
 
In the ninth, Hammrich stroked a one-out triple to left-center, but two strikeouts ended the inning to keep the score 1-0.
 
Jensen entered the game in the bottom of the ninth and quickly recorded a pop out, strikeout and ground out to seal the win.
 
Hammrich led SMSU's seven-hit offense with three hits, while Lampert, Tyler Froland, Caleb Gardow and Cortez each collected one hit.
 
SMSU, 3-2 overall, continues play on Sunday with a 3:30 CDT match-up versus Rockford (Ill.) and a 7 p.m. CDT rematch with DWU.