SUU hands Jacks first Summit loss

Thursday, April 17

Cedar City, Utah

2 p.m. MT

South Dakota State University

Southern Utah

4/17/2008 1:00:00 AM | Baseball

By: SDSU Sports Info

CEDAR CITY, Utah ? Southern Utah scored the final nine runs of the game to rally past South Dakota State, 11-9, and hand the Jackrabbit baseball team its first loss in Summit League play Thursday afternoon.

The homestanding Thunderbirds improved to 19-14 overall and 6-2 in The Summit League. SDSU, which had its season-best six-game winning streak snapped, dropped to 13-17 overall, 5-1 in league play.

Early on, the Jackrabbits were control as they scored in three of the first four innings. SDSU scored in the first inning on a two-run home run by Tyson Fisher ? his ninth round-tripper of the season. The Jackrabbits took advantage of a pair of Southern Utah errors and a wild pitch to score three times in the top of the second. Craig Parry drove in the first run on an error, and Fisher followed three batters later with a two-run single.

After Southern Utah got on the board in the second inning on a two-run homer by Bucky Aona, the Jackrabbits built their lead to 9-2 with a four-run fourth. Tony Martin doubled in two runs and Billy Stitz followed with a double to score Martin. Stitz later came around to score on a base hit by Nick Adams.

From there it was all Thunderbirds. Aided by a pair of Jackrabbit errors, SUU scored five times in the fourth inning and added another run in the fifth inning on a double by Aona to pull to within a run at 9-8.

However, SDSU continued to hold the lead until the bottom of the eighth, when the Thunderbirds scored three times. With one out, Romney reached on an error. Nick Freitas then greeted Jackrabbit closer Kirby Morsching with a two-run home run to right center that put SUU in the lead at 10-9. The final run of the inning scored on a sacrifice fly.

A Jackrabbit rally in the ninth inning came up short. SDSU loaded the bases with nobody out as Korby Mintken walked and Fisher and Martin each singled. Thunderbird closer Jacob Noyes regained his composure to strike out the next three SDSU hitters in succession to finish off his second save of the year.

Chase Hudson earned the victory after pitching the seventh and eighth innings in relief for SUU. Morsching dropped to 1-4.

Jackrabbit starter Christian Larson worked the first five innings, giving up eight runs ? three earned ? with no walks and two strikeouts.

Hanigan, Fisher and Martin each had three hits for SDSU as each team recorded three hits. Fisher drove in four runs and scored twice.

The two teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader Friday starting at noon Mountain Time.

SOUTHERN UTAH 11, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 9

SDSU 230 400 000 9-13-4

SUU 020 510 03X 11-13-3

SDSU: Christian Larson, Mike Robinson (6), Zach Weber (7), Kirby Morsching (8) and Tony Martin. SUU: Kyle Melling, Chase Hudson (7), Jacob Noyes (9) and Cameron Nelson.

W-Hudson (2-0). L-Morsching (1-4). SV-Noyes (2).

HR: SDSU-Tyson Fisher (9); SUU: Nick Freitas, Bucky Aona.