Late rally dooms Jackrabbits

Sunday, April 15

Mitchell, S.D.

noon

South Dakota State University

Utah Valley State

4/15/2007 11:00:00 AM | Baseball

By: SDSU Sports Info

MITCHELL ? Utah Valley State struck for seven runs in the top of the ninth to take the final game of a three-game college baseball series Sunday afternoon with a 9-5 victory over South Dakota State at Cadwell Park.

SDSU, 16-13 overall, led 5-2 heading into the top of the ninth. After reliever Erik Bess retired the leadoff hitter, Bess walked the next three hitters to load the bases. Closer Jacob Kougl then entered the game and got Scott Croshaw to bounce out to second base for the second out of the inning. Pinch-runner Ryan Chadwick scored on the play, with the other two runners moving into scoring position.

Keiki Albino, the ninth batter in the Utah Valley State order, then prevented a Jackrabbit sweep, tying the game at 5-all with an opposite-field double down the right-field line. Albino later scored the go-ahead run on a base hit by Eli Slesk, and the Wolverines tacked on three more runs. Two scored on a Jace Brinkerhoff single up the middle, with the final run scoring on a wild pitch.

In all, Jackrabbit pitchers gave up three hits and walked five as Utah Valley State sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning against four different SDSU pitchers.

SDSU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Nick Adams drove in Korby Mintken with a base hit. Mintken singled with one out and stole his team-leading 12^th base of the season to set up the run.

UVSC, 14-23 on the season, grabbed a 2-1 advantage, scoring single runs in the third and fifth innings. Tyler Garretson drove in both runs, collecting a base hit in the third and a double to the left-center gap in the fifth. Garretson and Slesk each tallied two of UVSC's eight hits.

The Jackrabbits regained the lead in the sixth, scoring four times. Jake Rogers tied the game with a leadoff home run against Wolverine starter Bryan Smith, his seventh of the season. After Nick Adams was hit by a pitch and both Cal Lewis and Craig Parry walked to load the bases, Tony Martin cleared the bases with a double to left center on the first pitch thrown by reliever Jory Jensen.

Freshman left-hander Mike Robinson gave SDSU a solid outing as he pitched the first six innings, allowing two runs, one of which was earned. The Rapid City native struck out five, walked two and gave up four hits.

Craig Brimhall picked up the win in relief for Utah Valley, pitching the final two innings. He struck out one and gave up one hit.

Rogers and Martin each posted two of the Jackrabbits' seven hits.

SDSU returns to Mitchell on Tuesday for a mid-week game against Dakota Wesleyan. Start time is set for 4 p.m. at Cadwell Park.

Utah Valley State 9, SDSU 5
UVSC 001 010 007 9-8-0
SDSU 100 004 000 5-7-2
UVSC: Bryan Smith, Jory Jensen (6), Craig Brimall (8) and Derrick Thomas. SDSU: Mike Robinson, Kirby Morsching (7), Erik Bess (8), Jacob Kougl (9), Dalton Decker (9), Jake Angier (9) and Tony Martin.
W ? Brimhall (1-0). L ? Kougl (0-1).
HR: SDSU ? Jake Rogers (7).