MARSHALL, Minn. –
Ryan Bell struck out a career-high seven batters in eight strong innings to lead Southwest Minnesota State to a 4-1 victory over Bemidji State in game two of a doubleheader on a chilly and windy day at Legion Field in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference baseball. The victory salvaged a split for SMSU after BSU held on for a 7-4 victory in game one.
The two games were relocated to Marshall with poor field conditions in Bemidji. BSU served as the 'home' team for both games.
Bell (4-3), who started on Sunday in a loss to St. Cloud State and allowed six runs in 1/3 of an inning, rebounded on Tuesday with a dominate start tying a career-high with eight innings pitched. He allowed five hits and walked just two batters while tossing 109 pitches with 75 for strikes. The only run he allowed was a solo home run with two outs in the sixth inning.
SMSU (15-14 overall, 5-12 NSIC), which left nine men on base in game one, left 12 more runners on base in game two, but came through with enough timely plays to earn the victory. The Mustangs snapped a scoreless game in the third with
Levi Lampert sprinting home on a wild pitch to make the score 1-0.
After leaving the bases loaded in the third and two more stranded in the fourth, SMSU plated a pair of runs in the sixth inning to build a 3-0 lead.
Brock Woitalla started the rally with double to right-center field and eventually moved to third after one-out walks to
Caden King and Lampert.
Jared Cortez brought home the first run of the frame with a fielder's choice before King scored the second run after Cortez was caught in a run-down on a stolen base attempt.
Leading 3-0 in the sixth, Bell picked-off a runner at first base for the second out of the frame before BSU's Noah Drusch drilled a solo home run to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Bell tossed a scoreless seventh and retired the first two batters of the eighth before an infield single brought Drusch to the plate representing the tying run. Bell came through coaxing a ground out on an 0-2 pitch to end the threat and keep SMSU in the lead.
SMSU added an insurance run in the ninth with
Connor Davis and
Henry Hammrich hitting one-out singles before both advanced one base on a wild pitch. Davis was gunned down at the plate on an
Evan Behn fielder's choice for the second out, but
Josh Berreth came through with a big run-scoring to score Hammrich and make the score 4-1.
Jameson Quinn came on the ninth and allowed one base hit, while striking out one batter to secure the victory for his first career save.
SMSU closed game two with seven hits, while BSU finished with six hits.
In game one, BSU started the scoring in the home half of the first putting together three hits, while taking advantage of a wild pitch and walk off SMSU starting pitcher
Tyler Nesheim to score three runs.
SMSU scored a run in the fourth despite getting hit by three pitches and collecting one base hit.
Nathan Wheeler brought in the only run of the inning with a sac fly to score Berreth.
The Mustangs scored again in the fifth with Hammrich delivering a sac fly to plate Cortez.
Holding a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth, the Beavers added big insurance runs collecting five hits and taking advantage of an SMSU throwing error to score four runs, with three unearned.
The runs were big as SMSU scored twice in the seventh behind an RBI single by Davis and a bases loaded walk to Behn. The comeback attempt came to end however with a foul pop out with the bases loaded.
Nesheim (1-2) took the loss allowing three runs on three hits with two walks and two wild pitches.
Austin Dent was solid in relief firing 4 1/3 innings with four strikeouts, while giving up four runs (one earned) on six hits and one walk.
Cortez and Davis led SMSU's seven-hit offense in game one with two hits apiece.
BSU is now 6-21 overall, 3-13 NSIC.
SMSU is scheduled for a three-game series at Northern State on Friday and Saturday. Weather for the weekend could force the series to be relocated or the dates could change.
