Home runs lift Minnesota past Jacks

Wednesday, April 15

Minneapolis, Minn.

3:05 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Minnesota

4/15/2009 8:30:00 PM | Baseball

By: SDSU Sports Info

MINNEAPOLIS ? Derek McCallum hit a pair of home runs and drove in six runs, lifting 23^rd-ranked Minnesota to a 9-6 victory over South Dakota State in college baseball action Wednesday afternoon at Siebert Field.

Minnesota improved to 22-10 overall, while the Jackrabbits dropped to 5-22 on the season.

SDSU held early leads of 1-0 and 3-1 before McCallum gave the Golden Gophers the lead for good at 5-3 on a three-run home run by McCallum in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Jackrabbits scored in the top of the first as Joel Blake led off the inning with a double and scored on a Jesse Sawyer single. After Minnesota tied the game at 1-all in the bottom of the second, SDSU grabbed a 3-1 lead in the third inning. John Lee led off the frame with a base hit and moved to second on an error. Tony Martin and Billy Stitz followed with run-scoring doubles.

SDSU pulled back to within a run at 5-4 in the fifth inning on a run-scoring single by Stephen Turner that plated Sawyer. However, Minnesota regained the momentum with a pair of unearned runs in the sixth inning and added two more in the eighth on a two-run blast by McCallum.

Trailing 9-4, the Jackrabbits put together a rally in the ninth inning, scoring twice. The first run scored on a groundout and Tony Martin capped the scoring with a single up the middle to score Blake.

The Jackrabbits held a 14-10 advantage in hits, with Blake, Martin and Stitz collecting three hits each. McCallum ended the game 3-for-4 with three runs scored to lead Minnesota, which also received two hits apiece from Matt Nohelty and A.J. Pettersen.

Eight different pitchers worked one inning each for the Jackrabbits. Senior left-hander Caleb Thielbar notched his 39^th career start, tying him with Billy McMacken (1987-90) atop the Jackrabbit career charts. Isaac Johnson, who pitched the fourth inning, took the loss in his first decision of the season.

Scott Fern, who pitched 3 2/3 innings of relief for Minnesota, was credited with the victory. Golden Gopher starter Dustin Klabunde worked the first four innings, giving up four runs and 10 hits.

SDSU is scheduled to play its first home game of the season Friday afternoon, hosting Summit League rival North Dakota State in the opening game of a four-game series. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. at Erv Huether Field on the SDSU campus.

MINNESOTA 9, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 6

SDSU 102 010 002 6-14-5

MINN 011 302 02X 9-10-1

SDSU: Caleb Thielbar, Austin Busse (2), Mike Robinson (3), Isaac Johnson (4), Trever Vermeulen (5), Layne Somsen (6), Matt Spinar (7), Sam Pieczynski (8) and Tony Martin. MINN: Dustin Klabunde, Scott Fern (5), Phil Isaksson (8), Cullen Sexton (9) and Kyle Knudson, Michael Kvasnicka (9).