BRANDON, S.D. -- The Southwest Minnesota State baseball team opened its season on Saturday dropping a pair of NSIC games to Minnesota Crookston at Aspen Park.
UMC scored a run in the top of the seventh inning in game one to earn a 6-5 victory and then held off a furious SMSU comeback attempt in game two in picking up a 17-15 victory.
SMSU scored three runs in the seventh and four runs in the ninth in the nightcap, but the rally fell just short with the tying run at the plate.
In game one, SMSU fell behind 4-0 in the second inning before
Connor Davis smacked a two-run home run for the Mustangs to cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second.
Trailing 5-2 in the fourth, SMSU pushed across two runs with
Evan Behn delivering an RBI single before
Levi Lampert later sprinted home on a wild pitch to make the score 5-4. The Mustangs tied the game in the fifth with
Jared Cortez and
Carter Lang starting the frame with back-to-back singles before
Tyler Froland lofted a sac fly to tie the game at 5-5.
SMSU had a great chance to take the lead in the sixth taking advantage of three walks to load the bases with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat.
UMC would push across the go-ahead run in the seventh scoring on a two-out wild pitch. SMSU put two runners on base in the bottom of the frame, but a deep fly ball was caught just in front of the fence to end the game.
Jameson Quinn (0-1) started on the mound for SMSU and lasted 6 2/3 innings allowing six runs on six hits with four walks, three hit by pitches and three strikeouts.
SMSU held a 10-6 advantage in hits, but stranded 12 runners on base. The Mustang offense was led by Cortez, who finished 3 for 3, while Behn added a pair of hits.
In game two, UMC scored at least one run in each of the first seven innings, including eight straight in the middle innings, to build a 17-8 advantage. SMSU would not quit and scored three runs in the seventh behind a Davis two-run home run and was followed by a solo home from
Josh Berreth, his first collegiate hit, to make the score 17-11.
In the bottom of the ninth, SMSU loaded the bases behind singles by Behn and Davis and a hit by pitch to Berreth.
Caden King smacked his first career base hit to drive in one run before
Tanner Rezny drilled a two-run double to make the score 17-14. Following a walk to
Nathan Wheeler to load the bases with no outs, a strikeout, sac fly and line out ended the game with the tying run at the plate.
Davis had three hits and three RBIs, while Cortez, Lampert, Behn, and Rezny each added two hits apiece.
Ryan Bell (0-1) started on the mound for the Mustangs and allowed nine runs (five earned) on nine hits with four strikeouts in three innings.
Tad Tjaden followed throwing three innings with
Ryan Dalager tossing one inning and
Lincoln Vasgaard firing two shutout frames.
The two teams will play another doubleheader on Sunday starting at 12 p.m. The first game will be a nine-inning NSIC game, while the second game will be a non-conference match-up.
