SDSU wins twice to close out home season

Sunday, May 13

Bob Shelden Field

11 a.m.

South Dakota State University

IPFW

5/13/2007 6:00:00 PM | Baseball

By: SDSU Sports Info

South Dakota State rallied from a five-run deficit to win the opener, then carried the momentum through to the second game, sweeping a baseball doubleheader from IPFW for the second consecutive day, Sunday afternoon at Bob Shelden Field.

The Jackrabbits won Game 1, 8-7 in 11 innings, then posted a 10-3 victory in the nitecap to improve to 29-18 overall. IPFW dropped to 9-36 this season.

In the opener, the Jackrabbits dug themselves a big hole as IPFW scored five first-inning runs off SDSU starter Caleb Thielbar. Jared Davis drove in the first run with a base hit and Nick Diem tallied a two-run single. Aaron Kerns plated the fourth run of the inning with a groundout, and Jason Doerffler knocked in the final run with the fifth Mastodon hit of the inning, a single through the left side.

SDSU got two back in home half of the first. After Korby Mintken was hit by a pitch, Tyson Fisher doubled down the left-field line. Nick Adams then drove in Mintken with a groundout and Fisher scored on Craig Parry's double down the right-field line.

Adams doubled in Fisher in the third inning to make it a 5-3 game, only to see IPFW score twice in the fourth inning.

Meanwhile, IPFW starter Donnie Sixt settled into a groove, The right-hander used an effective curve ball to keep SDSU off balance and retire 13 of 14 batters in the middle innings en route to 10 strikeouts. Sixt began to tire in the eighth inning, issuing a pair of walks before giving way to Stacy Herrold with two on and one out.

Adams then greeted Herrold by driving a pitch over the fence in left-center to cut the margin to 7-6.

Things turned bizarre in the bottom of the ninth. Chris Iverson led off the frame with a base hit to the left center gap that was cut off by Kerns, who then threw a strike to second to get Iverson trying to stretch the hit into a double. Tim Hanigan followed with a bad-hop single up the middle and Jake Rogers walked. With Mintken at the plate, both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Herrold recovered to strike out Mintken for the second out.

The Mastodons then opted to intentionally walk Fisher to load the bases, but Herrold's first pitch sailed to the backstop, allowing Hanigan to score the tying run. Herrold then intentionally walked Adams before inducing a popout to end the inning.

While the IPFW bullpen couldn't hold the lead, the Jackrabbit bullpen was outstanding, hurling eight shutout innings. Mike Robinson pitched 5 1/3 innings in relief, followed by two-thirds of an inning from Jake Angier and two shutout innings from Kevin Morsching.

SDSU put together the winning rally in the 11th inning. Hanigan opened the frame with a double down the right-field line and moved to third on a sacrifice by Rogers. Mintken then ended the game with a base hit to left field.

Adams was 3-for-5 with five runs batted in, while Hanigan was 2-for-5 with two runs scored.

Morsching picked up the win in relief, improving to 5-2 on the season.

Herrold took the loss, dropping to 1-5. He walked four and struck out three in three innings.

Shaun VanDriessche was 4-for-6 and Jared Davis added three hits in six trips for the Mastodons. Of IPFW's 15 hits, 14 were singles.

In the nitecap, Tony Martin went 3-for-3 with two doubles and five RBI as the Jackrabbits cruised to a 10-3 victory, securing a sweep of the four-game series. Adams opened the scoring with a solo home run to center field in the bottom of the first and Martin plated two more later in the frame on a double off the fence in left center. Adams homered in the third straight game, finishing the series with 10 RBI.

For the second time in the series, a Mastodon starter did not make it out of the first inning. Matt Antos lasted only two-thirds of an inning before being lifted in favor of Ben Boehne.

IPFW scored twice in the top of the third against Jackrabbit starter Kirby Morsching on a groundout and run-scoring single by VanDriessche.

Rogers hit a solo homer in the fourth, and Martin drove in Jackrabbit runs with a double in the third and ended the SDSU scoring in the sixth as he dumped a single down the right-field line to score two. The Jackrabbits had extended their lead to 8-2 in the fifth on a two-run triple by Mintken ? his third three-bagger of the series ? and a single up the middle by pinch-hitter Justin Morar.

The Mastodons threatened in the sixth as two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases. However, Matt Baerlocher came on in relief and kept the damage to a minimum as he retired all three batters he faced, allowing just one run to score.

Morsching worked the first five innings to complete a sweep of brothers earning victories in the same doubleheader on Mothers' Day. He struck out three and did not walk a batter.

Cal Lewis was also 3-for-3 for the Jackrabbits and scored four times.

SDSU returns to action by opening a two-game series Thursday at Northern Colorado. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. Mountain Time (3 p.m. Central) in Greeley, Colo.