MARSHALL, Minn. – Carter Lang tied a career-high with three hits and added three RBIs, while Levi Lampert blasted a 3-run home run to lead Southwest Minnesota State to an 8-7 victory over Jamestown in game two of a doubleheader on Sunday to salvage a split at Legion Field in NSIC baseball.
 
Jamestown (12-26, 7-18 NSIC) won the opener 1-0, scoring the lone run on a two-out, infield single in the top of the seventh for the Jimmies only hit of the game and breaking up the no-hit bid for SMSU starting pitcher Jameson Quinn.
 
In game two, Lang came through with three, clutch two-out run-scoring hits to pace the Mustangs to the victory. Lampert's home run, his team-leading seventh of the season, snapped a 3-3 tie in the fourth. SMSU, now 17-23 overall, 7-21 NSIC, out-hit UJ 12-11, and had two-hit games from Lampert, Jared Cortez and Connor Davis.
 
Lincoln Vasgaard (1-2) earned his first collegiate victory tossing a solid 2 2/3 innings of relief, while Ryan Dalager earned his first career save firing the final 1 2/3 innings.
 
Dalager came in relief in the top of the eighth with two runners on base and SMSU holding an 8-7 lead. He coaxed a pair of pop outs to end the threat and keep the one-run cushion. Dalager retired the first two batters in the ninth, but the Jimmies rallied with two hits, putting the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, but Dalager secured the win with a strikeout. 
 
SMSU opened the scoring in game two with two unearned runs in the bottom of the first. The first scored on a dropped fly ball in center field before Lang laced a run-scoring single to right field.
 
After UJ scored a run in the third, Cortez doubled to leadoff the bottom of the inning and later scored on a two-out single by Lang.
 
The Jimmies would tie the score in the top of the fourth taking advantage of a Mustang throwing error and a wild pitch to score two unearned runs off SMSU starting pitcher Tyler Nesheim.
 
The game would not stay tied for long as Brock Woitalls singled to open the home half of the fourth and moved to second on a walk by Lane Moline. Following a sac bunt, Lampert launched a three-run homer over the right field wall to make the score 6-3. Moments later Cortez tripled and would later score on a throwing error by the UJ pitched to extend the lead to 7-3.
 
The Jimmies used a two-out rally in the fifth to pull within 7-5 with three straight two-out hits to chase Nesheim from the game. Vasgaard entered the game with a runner on first and recorded the first of five strikeouts in the game to keep the lead at two runs.
 
SMSU added a run in the sixth with Lang smacking a two-out RBI single to plate Davis, who doubled with one out.
 
SMSU had several chances to blow the game open, but left two runners in scoring position in the fifth and the bases loaded in both the sixth and seventh innings.
 
UJ would take advantage of three walks, two wild pitches and one hit to cut the deficit to 8-7 with one out in the eighth. With the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second, Dalager escaped the jam with a pair of pop outs.
 
Nesheim pitched 4 2/3 innings for the Mustangs to earnt he no-decision, allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits with two strikeouts, two walks and one hit batter. Vasgaard allowed a pair of runs on two hits in 2 2/3 innings with three walks and five strikeouts.
 
In game one, Quinn (3-4) was dominate, allowing one run on the lone hit with five strikeouts, three walks and one hit batter. He retired the Jimmies in order the first three innings and faced the minimum 15 batters through five innings.
 
With one out in the sixth, UJ threatened with back-to-back walks, but Quinn inducted a double play ground ball to end the rally.
 
SMSU, which was held to two hits by UJ pitcher Payton Hochhalter, put the go-ahead runner on third base in the sixth with two outs as Lampert walked, stole second and moved to third on an error by the catcher. Hochhalter was able to escape the jam coaxing a fly out to end the frame.
 
In the seventh, Quinn hit the leadoff batter, who the moved to second on a sac bunt and later to third on a ground out. With two outs, Trayson Kostial reached on a hard groundball infield hit to shortstop to allow the first run of the game to score.
 
Lang reached base on a one out single in the seventh before pinch runner Jacob Merrill moved to second on a wild pitch. However, Hochhalter once again made big pitches ending the game with a strikeout on a 3-2 pitch and a ground out.
 
Lang and Evan Behn had the two hits for the Mustangs.
 
The teams will play the final game of the series on Monday with first pitch at 12 p.m.