SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Southwest Minnesota State baseball team had a pair of rally attempts fall short in suffering a pair of losses to the University of Sioux Falls on Tuesday at Sioux Falls Stadium. USF won the opener 10-8, with SMSU ending the game with the tying run at the plate, while USF hung on for an 8-5 victory in game two with SMSU closing the game with the bases loaded.
SMSU drops to 23-21 overall, 18-19 NSIC, and has now lost a season-high four straight games. USF improves to 27-25 overall and moves into sole possession of third place in the NSIC with a record of 23-14.
In the opener, SMSU opened the scoring in the top of the first with
Evan Behn hitting a two-run single to score
Levi Lampert and
Owen Latendresse.
USF rallied in the bottom of the first behind a three-run home run. The Cougars would add four more runs off five hits in the second to build a 7-2 lead.
SMSU starting pitcher
Jameson Quinn settled in after the rough start and held USF scoreless over the next three innings until leaving after five innings.
SMSU cut the margin to 7-3 in the fourth behind an RBI fielder's choice from Latendresse to plate
Nathan Wheeler.
USF added three big insurance runs in the sixth to extend the lead to 10-3.
SMSU rallied in the seventh scoring five runs on four hits and bringing the tying run to the plate with two outs.
Cory Bantam started the scoring with an RBI double to score Latendresse, who was hit by a pitch to start the frame. Behn made the score 10-5 with an RBI single before Wheeler cut the score to 10-6 with a sac fly.
Tyler Froland came through with a pinch-hit two-run double to score
Brock Woitalla and Behn and trim the lead to 10-8 with two outs, but USF's Jace Coleman entered the game and earned his fourth save with a strikeout ending an 11-pitch at bat versus Lampert.
Both teams closed the game with 10 hits.
Quinn (3-3) pitched five innings and allowed seven runs on eight hits with three walks and one strikeout.
Behn led the Mustangs with three hits and three RBIs, while Lampert and Bantam each finished with two hits.
In game two, SMSU once again scored first with Lampert coaxing a two-out bases loaded walk to score Behn in the top of the second.
SMSU maintained a 1-0 lead until the third when USF tied the game with a solo home run off SMSU starting pitcher
Cody Wichmann. USF would take advantage of an error to plate four more runs and build a four-run advantage. SMSU's
Cameron Jensen came in relief with two outs in the inning and the score 3-1, but Jensen was greeted by giving up a two-run homer to give the Cougars a 5-1 lead.
USF pushed across single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to make the score 7-1 after seven.
SMSU made its comeback push in the eighth with Froland driving home a run with a ground out before
Henry Hammrich hit a sac fly to trim the lead to 7-3.
USF added another unearned run in the eighth off SMSU's
Austin Dent to build an 8-3 advantage.
SMSU attempted one more comeback attempt in the ninth collecting five hits and scoring a pair of runs. Bantam and Wheeler each hit run-scoring singles to make the score 8-5.
Chuck Hackett and
Caleb Gardow followed Wheeler's hit with singles to load the bases with two outs, but USF's Ben Series retired Hammrich on a foul pop out to end the game with the bases loaded.
Wichmann (1-3) suffered the loss tossing 2 2/3 innings allowing four runs (one earned) on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Jensen pitched 3 2/3 innings recording four strikeouts, while giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits.
Bennett Knapper fired 2/3 of inning and gave up one hit.
SMSU out-hit USF 10-9 in game two with Bantam finishing 3 for 4, while Wheeler was 2 for 3.
SMSU, now in a tie for eighth place in the league standings, closes the regular season with a three-game series at nationally ranked Minnesota State this Friday and Saturday. Friday's doubleheader begins at 1:30 p.m. with Saturday's game set for 12 p.m. MSU has already clinched the NSIC regular season championship. The top eight teams in the final standings qualify for the NSIC tournament starting on May 7.
