MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State baseball team opened its home season on Saturday afternoon suffering a pair of extra-inning losses to St. Cloud State by scores of 11-7 in eight innings in game one and a 6-4 in eight innings in game two.
 
SMSU drops to 13-13 overall, 3-11 NSIC, while SCSU pushes its record to 13-13 overall, 9-4 NSIC.
 
In game one, Brock Woitalla led the Mustangs with a pair of home runs, including a game-tying two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning to make the score 6-6.
 
Woitalla closed the game with four RBIs and two runs scored, while Jared Cortez added three hits and two RBIs for the Mustangs.
 
SMSU appeared to take a 7-6 lead with two outs in the home half of the sixth inning as Henry Hammrich smacked a two-out base hit to left field to score Levi Lampert from second base. However, SCSU appealed the play and via video review, and the umpires overturned the call on the field as the third out of the inning was recorded at third base just moments before Lampert touched home plate.
 
Both teams were held scoreless in the seventh before the Huskies broke through with a five-run eighth inning to earn the victory.
 
Cody Wichmann started for SMSU on the mound and lasted 3 2/3 innings allowing nine hits and six runs with two walks and one strikeout. Lincoln Vasgaard (0-1) was solid in relief tossing a career-high 3 2/3 innings allowing two runs on two hits with two strikeouts and three walks.
 
Lampert opened the scoring for SMSU with a solo home run in the first inning. With the game tied 1-1 in the second, Woitalla drilled a solo home run before Cortez ripped an RBI double to score Lampert and give SMSU a 3-1 lead.
 
SCSU tied the game with a two-run third and added three more runs in the fourth to chase Wichmann from the game. Vasgaard kept SMSU in the game keeping SCSU scoreless for three straight innings before the Huskies snapped the tie in the eight.
 
SCSU finished game one with 14 hits, while SMSU closed with nine hits.
 
In game two, SMSU once again scored first with Lampert reaching via an infield hit and moments later scoring on an RBI single by Cortez.
 
Trailing 2-1 in the second, SMSU answered with a two-out rally as Caden King drilled a two-out double before Cortez tied the game with an RBI single. Lampert would later score on a wild pitch to give the Mustangs a 3-2 advantage.
 
SCSU tied the game at 3-3 in the third but once again SMSU had an answer with Woitalla connecting on an RBI double down the left field line to score Connor Davis.
 
SCSU stranded two runners on base against SMSU starting pitcher Jameson Quinn in the fourth, but took advantage of a Mustang fielding error in the fifth to plate an unearned run and tie the game at 4-4.
 
The game remained tied until the eight when SCSU's Wyatt Tweet hit a lead-off home run off Austin Dent. SCSU would add a big insurance run on a two-out RBI single. SMSU, which was held to one hit in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings, put together a rally in the eighth with a walk and infield single, but a fly out ended the game with the tying run on base.
 
Cortez finished 3 for 5 with two RBIs in the nightcap.
 
Quinn earned a no-decision allowing four runs (two earned) on nine hits with three strikeouts and one walk in seven innings.
 
The series concludes on Sunday with a 12 p.m. single nine-inning game.