Jackrabbit rally falls short at Minnesota

Wednesday, April 18

Minneapolis, Minn.

3:05 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Minnesota

4/18/2007 3:00:00 PM | Baseball

By: SDSU Sports Info

MINNEAPOLIS ? Minnesota ended a long streak of South Dakota State pitchers not allowing a home run, hitting four round-trippers in a 7-6 victory over the Jackrabbits Wednesday afternoon at Siebert Field.

The Golden Gophers, 22-6 overall, used the long ball to build an early 4-0 lead. Dan Lyons opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a two-run home run to center field off SDSU starter Erik Bess. That put an end to a string of seven-plus games covering 64 1/3 innings that SDSU had not allowed a home run to an opponent.

Two batters later, Nate Hanson hit the first of his two home runs on the afternoon, another two-run blast to center that also scored Mike Mee.

SDSU, 17-14, battled right back to tie the game in the top of the second with a two-out rally. Craig Parry plated Cal Lewis with the first run on a base hit. Parry moved all the way to third on a error and later scored on Tim Hanigan's single to left. Jake Rogers then stepped to the plate and delivered a two-run double to left center to score Blaine Linster and Hanigan.

Minnesota gained the lead for good in the bottom of the third as Lyons and Hanson sandwiched doubles around a flyout. The Gophers pushed the lead to 6-4 in the sixth on Hanson's second home run and fourth run batted in of the game. His fourth homer of the season came against Jackrabbit reliever Matt Baerlocher.

The Jackrabbits got back to within a run on two separate occasions in the late innings. SDSU made it a 6-5 game in the seventh when Hanigan scored on a groundout.

After Matt Nohelty pushed the margin to 7-5 with a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh, SDSU's ninth-inning rally came up a run short. The inning started well as Craig Parry led off with his team-leading 11^th double. After the next two hitters were retired, Rogers greeted closer Josh Oslin with his third hit of the game, a single to right to score Parry. Oslin then induced Korby Mintken to ground out to end the game for his seventh save of the season.

SDSU out-hit the Gophers, 10-9. Hanigan also had two hits for the Jackrabbits.

Phil Zander earned the victory in relief for Minnesota, pitching four innings of one-hit ball.

Bess, the first of six Jackrabbit pitchers on the day, threw the first three innings for SDSU in a losing effort. He gave up five runs and six hits, while striking out two and walking one as he fell to 1-2. Kevin Morsching pitched two innings of perfect relief.

SDSU returns to action this weekend, playing a three-game series Friday, Saturday and Sunday against Northern Colorado in Rapid City. Friday's opener is set for a 3 p.m. Mountain Time (4 p.m. Central) start at Floyd Fitzgerald Stadium.

Minnesota 7, SDSU 6
SDSU 040 000 101 6-10-0
MINN 401 001 10x 7-9-1
SDSU: Erik Bess, Kevin Morsching (4), Matt Baerlocher (6), Jake Angier (6), Isaac Johnson (7), Jacob Kougl (8) and Tony Martin. MINN: Aaron Larson, Phil Zander (3), Tyler Oakes (7), Bill Johnson (9), Josh Oslin (9) and Kyle Knudson, Jeff DeSmidt (7).
W ? Zander (1-0). L ? Bess (1-2). Save ? Oslin (7).
HR: MINN ? Matt Nohelty (1), Nate Hanson 2 (4), Dan Lyons (5).