MARSHALL, Minn. – Josh Berreth smacked a two-run walk-off home run in the 10th inning to lift Southwest Minnesota State to a dramatic come-from-behind 14-12 victory over St. Cloud State on Sunday afternoon at Legion Field.
 

SMSU, which trailed 6-0 and 10-3 in the game, rallied back with a run in the eighth and two runs in the ninth to send the game into extra innings.

The two teams combined for 40 hits in the game with each team using five pitchers. All three games of the series went to extra innings with SCSU winning both in eight innings on Saturday. 

SMSU, which snaps a six-game losing skid, improves to 14-13 overall, 4-11 NSIC, while SCSU falls to 13-14 overall, 9-5 NSIC.

Berreth, who hit a walk-off home run to defeat Minnesota Crookston earlier this season, finished the game with three hits including belting a three-run homer in the third inning. A total of six Mustangs had multi-hit games with Jared Cortez and Evan Behn both joining Berreth with three hits each. Levi Lampert, Henry Hammrich and Nathan Wheeler each closed with two hits.

The SMSU bullpen allowed just two runs in the last seven innings with Dylan Webb (2-0) earning the victory tossing a pair of shutout innings with two strikeouts. Max Hudlow, the second of four relievers used in the game, and in his first appearance this season, fired three strong innings allowing just one run on four hits. Ryan Dalager allowed one run in two innings of work before Webb pitched the final two frames.
 

The game did not start well for SMSU with SCSU opening the top of the first with six runs on seven hits. SMSU countered in the home half of the inning with Hammrich drilling an RBI double before Behn hit a clutch two-out, two-run single to cut the deficit to 6-3.

SCSU however answered back with a three-run home run in the second and then added another run in the third to extend the lead to 10-3.

SMSU had a huge third inning to pull back to within striking distance using six hits to plate six runs. Cortez and Connor Davis started the rally with base hits before Hammrich drove in the first run with a single down the left field line. Berreth followed with a three-run home run over the left-center field to cut the SCSU advantage to 10-7. Behn single moments later and just two batters later Wheeler stroked a two-run home run to left field to make the score 10-9.

The offense for both squads was held in check for much of the next five innings with the Huskies plating single runs in the sixth and eighth innings to build a 12-9 lead.

Down three in the eighth, the Mustangs fought back with Wheeler hitting a leadoff single before moving to second on a one-out infield hit by Lampert. With two outs, Davis walked to load the bases before Wheeler sprinted home on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 12-10 after eight innings.

In the ninth, Berreth opened the frame with an infield single before Behn drilled a single to left field. Brock Woitalla laid down a perfect bunt and beat the throw to first to load the bases.

However, it looked like SCSU would pull out the victory as Wheeler hit a hard ball to third base that turned into a double play with the SCSU third baseman stepping on third for one out and throwing home for the second out. Down to their last strike, the Mustangs battled back as Caden King drilled a 3-2 pitch for an infield single to load the bases once more. Lampert followed with a huge two-run single to tie the game at 12 and send to extra innings.

SCSU started the 10th inning with a double, but Webb coaxed a fly out, a ground out and a line out to keep the Huskies scoreless in the frame.

In the home half of the 10th, Hammrich was hit by a pitch with one out before Berreth stepped to the plate and drilled the game-winning home run.

Ryan Bell started on the mound for the Mustangs and recorded one out before being relieved by Tad Tjaden, who pitched 2 2/3 innings.

SMSU will continue play at home on Wednesday afternoon facing Bemidji State at 1:30 p.m. for a doubleheader. The teams were originally scheduled to play in Bemidji on Tuesday but due to field conditions the two-game set will be played at Legion Field. BSU will serve as the 'home' team for the two games.