Jacks use long ball to sweep UND

Wednesday, April 22

Grand Forks, N.D.

1 p.m.

South Dakota State University

North Dakota

4/22/2009 8:30:00 PM | Baseball

By: SDSU Sports Info

GRAND FORKS, N.D. ? South Dakota State hit nine home runs, including three by Jesse Sawyer, in sweeping a non-conference baseball doubleheader from the University of North Dakota Wednesday afternoon.

The Jackrabbits hit four home runs en route to a 7-5 win in the opener, then slugged a season-high five round-trippers in a 9-4 victory in Game 2. SDSU improved to 10-25 overall, while UND fell to 8-23 on the season.

SDSU wasted little time breaking into the scoring column in the opener. The second batter of the game, John Lee, homered to right field and Sawyer made it back-to-back long balls with an opposite field shot to right.

UND tied the game on a two-run homer by Aaron Cook in the bottom of the second inning, but the Jackrabbits took the lead for good on Jesse Ayala's first home run of the season to lead off the third inning.

The Jackrabbits built the lead to 7-2 with two runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings. Beau Hanowski and Lee tallied run-scoring singles in the fifth, while Stephen Turner's two-run home run accounted for the sixth-inning runs.

UND drew back to within two with a three-run seventh inning that included a two-run double by Jake Magner. However, Jackrabbit reliever Trever Vermeulen kept UND off the board over the final two innings to earn his first save.

SDSU starter Austin Busse picked up his first career victory after pitching the first seven innings. A freshman from Dallas, Texas, Busse scattered seven hits and walked two, but did not record a strikeout. Only one of the runs he allowed was earned.

Lee and Billy Stitz each had two hits for the Jackrabbits, who held a 9-8 advantage in hits.

In Game 2, Sawyer again homered in the first inning to give SDSU an early 1-0 lead. For Sawyer, it marked the fourth consecutive game ? all against UND ? in which he has hit a home run.

Eric Cain got into the home run act in the second inning with a two-run shot to right center for his first career home run.

UND cracked the scoring column in the home half of the second on a solo home run by Andrew Gudmundson off Jackrabbit starter Issac Johnson. Cook doubled later in the inning and came around to score on a groundout.

The SDSU lead grew to 5-2 in the fourth inning as Zach Briggs homered to left field and Ayala and Erik DeJong hit back-to-back doubles. Sawyer then added his second home run of the game in the fifth inning to make the score 6-3.

The Jackrabbits closed out their scoring in the sixth inning as Hanowski scored on an error and Lee added his second home run of the day, a two-run shot to right field.

Johnson pitched the first four innings of the seven-inning contest to improve to 2-1 on the season. A senior from Verndale, Minn., Johnson gave up four hits and walked two.

The Jackrabbits held an 11-8 advantage in hits, with eight ? five home runs and three doubles ? going for extra bases.

SDSU returns to Summit League play with a four-game series Friday through Sunday at Western Illinois. Friday's series opener is set for a 3 p.m. start in Macomb, Ill.

GAME 1: SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 7, NORTH DAKOTA 5

SDSU 201 022 000 7-9-2

UND 020 000 300 5-8-1

SDSU: Austin Busse, Trever Vermeulen (8) and Zach Briggs. UND: Derek Biermaier, Jameson Benson (6) and Andrew Sadler.

W-Busse (1-0). L-Biermaier (4-4). SV-Vermeulen (1).

HR: SDSU-John Lee (3), Jesse Sawyer (7), Stephen Turner (2), Jesse Ayala (1); UND-Aaron Cook (4).

GAME 2: SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 9, NORTH DAKOTA 4

SDSU 120 213 0 9-11-0
UND 020 100 1 4-8-1

SDSU: Isaac Johnson, Layne Somsen (5), Trever Vermeulen (7) and Tony Martin. UND: Mike Lueck, Sam Anderson (5), David Spies (7) and Andrew Sadler, Ryne Jungling (6).

W-Johnson (2-1). L-Lueck (0-6).

HR: SDSU-John Lee (4), Jesse Sawyer 2 (9), Zach Briggs (2), Eric Cain (1); UND-Andrew Gudmundson.