BISMARCK, N.D. – The Southwest Minnesota State baseball suffered a pair of losses to the University of Mary on Saturday afternoon, falling 6-2 in a conference match-up in game one, before dropping a 7-5 non-conference contest in game two.
SMSU is now 13-11 overall, 3-9 NSIC, while UMary improves to 10-10 overall, 5-4 NSIC.
In game one, SMSU opened the scoring in the top of the first with
Levi Lampert starting the game with a single and moving to second on a walk to
Jared Cortez. Following a strikeout,
Connor Davis laced a two-run double down the right field line to put the Mustangs up 2-0.
The Marauder answered in the home half of the first with a hit by pitch and three hits to plate three runs and take a one-run lead.
UMary added a single run in the third, seventh and eighth innings for the final margin.
Ryan Bell (3-3) started and tossed 6 2/3 innings for the Mustangs to suffer the loss allowing five hits, five runs (four earned) with one strikeout and three hit batters.
Lampert collected three of SMSU's six hits in the opener with Cortez,
Brock Woitalla and Davis each finishing with one hit.
In game two, UMary struck for three runs in the first inning off SMSU starting pitcher
Tyler Nesheim.
UMary would hold a 5-0 lead into the fifth inning before SMSU pushed across a pair of runs on a two-run double by Davis to score Cortez and
Henry Hammrich.
The Marauders answered the Mustangs with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth to build a 7-2 lead into the final frame. SMSU put together one final rally attempt in the seventh behind run-scoring singles by Cortez and
Tanner Rezny and a fielder's choice RBI by
Evan Behn to make the score 7-5, but a ground out ended the game with the tying runs on base.
Cortez and Davis each finished with two hits in game two with Hammrich and Rezny closing with one each.
Nesheim (1-1) suffered the loss allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits in three innings with five strikeouts, two walks and one hit batter.
Lincoln Vasgaard tossed one shutout inning in relief, while
Ryan Dalager pitched the final 1 2/3 innings with three strikeouts.
SMSU returns to action next weekend opening its home season with a three-game series versus St. Cloud State at Legion Field. Saturday's doubleheader is set to begin at 1:30 p.m.