SDSU strikes big again at Independent Tournament

Thursday, May 24

Orem, Utah

12:30 p.m. MT

South Dakota State University

Chicago State (Ill.)

5/24/2007 6:00:00 PM | Baseball

By: SDSU Sports Info

OREM, Utah ? Korby Mintken and Tony Martin each homered twice and drove in six runs as the South Dakota State University baseball team's offensive onslaught continued Thursday in a 20-2 victory over Chicago State (Ill.) at the Division I Independent Tournament.

Matt Bowman pitched his fifth complete game of the season for the Jackrabbits, who improved to 33-18 overall with their eighth consecutive victory. Chicago State dropped to 4-51.

For the second consecutive game, SDSU scored runs in bunches in the early innings. After scoring 10 in the first inning of Wednesday's opener against New York Tech, the Jackrabbits struck for eight runs in the second inning on Thursday. Martin led off the inning with a solo home run and Jake Rogers doubled in a run to make it a 2-0 game. Three batters later, Mintken homered to right center and Cal Lewis followed with another three-run blast to close out the frame.

SDSU tacked on four more runs in the third inning on Mintken's second three-run homer of the game, then added a run in the fourth on a bases-loaded walk to Lewis to put the margin at 13-0.

The Jackrabbits finished their scoring with a seven-run sixth inning. Sam Pieczynski opened the scoring with a bases-loaded walk to force in a run and Martin followed with a grand slam, his ninth home run of the season. It also was Martin's third grand slam of the season and fourth of his Jackrabbit career. Blaine Linster drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning to force in another run, with the final run of the inning scoring on a wild pitch.

Chicago State's only runs came on a two-run home run by Alex Hall in the top of the seventh.

Bowman struck out five, gave up six hits and walked only one in improving to 8-3 on the season. The senior right-hander became the first Jackrabbit pitcher to top 100 innings in a season, ending the day at 104 2/3 innings.

Mintken, Rogers and Tim Hanigan each tallied three of SDSU's 18 hits.

Cougar starter Chris Freshour lasted only two-plus innings and was removed after Mintken's third-inning home run.

SDSU concludes its season with two games Friday. The Jackrabbits are scheduled to play Northern Colorado at 9 a.m. Mountain Time (10 a.m. Central) and NJIT at 12:30 p.m. MT (1:30 p.m. CT).

Notes: The Jackrabbits set a season high for runs for the second consecutive game despite stranding 16 runners ... SDSU has outscored its opponents 39-6 in its two tournament games ... SDSU's five home runs were its most in a game this season ... Martin hit two home runs in a game at Wolverine Stadium on March 30 ... SDSU improved to 6-3 in three Division I Independent Tournament appearances, winning its first-ever contest with Chicago State ... the Jackrabbits also upped their overall record against D-I independents to 22-5 this season ... SDSU has hit a grand slam in each of its two tournament games, with Cal Lewis doing the honors on Wednesday ... Lewis' 15 home runs tie him with Jon Crow (1992) and Chris Studer (2002) for fourth place on the Jackrabbit single-season home run list; Terry VanEngelenhoven holds the single-season record of 17 in 1993 ... Bowman recorded his first at-bat as a Jackrabbit, grounding out to third base to end the eighth inning