Jacks fall to SUU in 10, but clinch tourney berth

Thursday, May 14

Huether Field

3 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Southern Utah

5/14/2009 7:30:00 PM | Baseball

By: SDSU Sports Info

Southern Utah used timely hitting, including a go-ahead triple by Ray Wright in the top of the 10th inning, to pull out a 9-7 extra-inning victory over South Dakota State in the opener of a four-game series Thursday afternoon at Erv Huether Field.

Despite the loss, the Jackrabbits wrapped up a berth in next week's Summit League Championship after IPFW defeated fifth-place North Dakota State, 7-3, Thursday night in Fargo, N.D. SDSU dropped to 21-28 overall and 14-10 in league play.

Southern Utah, which also has a postseason tournament berth locked up, improved to 26-19 overall and 15-4 in The Summit League.

All seven of the Thunderbirds' runs in regulation play scored on two-out hits. SUU grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a two-run single by Colby Ford. Bucky Aona and Chester Wilson hit back-to-back two-out doubles off SDSU starter Sam Pieczynski to account for a run in the third inning, and Wright gave SUU a 4-1 lead with a run-scoring single in the fourth.

SDSU tied the game at 4-all in the home half of the fourth on a three-run home run by Zach Briggs, which scored Stephen Turner and Eric Cain in front of Briggs. It was the freshman's sixth home run of the season.

The Jackrabbits took their first lead of the game in the fifth inning. John Lee doubled to lead off the inning, moved to third on a flyout and scored on a sacrifice fly by Tony Martin.

Southern Utah knotted the game again in the seventh on a two-single up the middle by Aona that scored Wright.

The see-saw affair continued in the bottom of the eighth as SDSU regained the advantage at 6-5 when Billy Stitz was ruled safe on a bang-bang play at first base during a potential inning-ending double play.

The Thunderbirds' strong two-out hitting continued in the ninth inning. Wright led off the frame with a base hit and Nick Freitas walked. Jackrabbit pitcher Caleb Thielbar then was called for a balk to put runners at second and third with one out, Thielbar managed to strike out Aona for the second out. Following an intentional walk to Wilson that loaded the bases, pinch-hitter Derek Pena hit the first pitch he saw up the middle for a two-run single to give SUU a 7-6 lead.

The SUU lead was short-lived, however, as Joel Blake led off the bottom of the ninth inning with his 11th home run of the season. Jesse Sawyer re-started the Jackrabbit rally with a one-out single and moved to second on an errant pickoff attempt. Martin was then intentionally walked, but SUU reliever Keli'i Zablan struck out Stephen Turner for the second out and later induced Briggs to pop out to first base to end the inning.

In the top of the 10th, Garrett Messerly reached on an error to open the inning, and Wright followed with his fourth consecutive hit ? a triple to right-center field ? to score pinch-runner Blake Olsen. Wright later scored on a sacrifice fly by Bo Cuthbertson for the final run of the game.

Zablan picked up the win in relief for SUU, striking out one and walking two in 1 2/3 innings. Steve Johnson started for the Thunderbirds and pitched the first seven innings, allowing nine hits and four walks to go along with three strikeouts.

Thielbar took the loss for the Jackrabbits despite striking out six in four innings. The senior left-hander allowed five runs, three of which were earned, walked two and surrendered seven hits.

Pieczynski walked two and struck out one in his three innings of work, while Mike Robinson struck out three and gave up only one run and two hits in his three-inning stint.

All nine starters in the Jackrabbit lineup tallied at least one hit, but SDSU was out-hit 13-12. Sawyer, Turner and Cain each had two hits for SDSU.

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

NOTES: Southern Utah leads the all-time series 4-1 ... SDSU dropped to 10-6 at home this season ... Thielbar moved into second place on the Jackrabbit career strikeouts list with 179, passing Jon Maras (175 from 1989-92) ... Martin posted his 70th hit of the season, tying him with three other players for the third-highest single-season total in program history ... SDSU lost for only the second time this season when hitting two or more home runs in a game ... Stitz recorded his team-best 12 stolen base in 14 tries

SOUTHERN UTAH 9, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 7 (10 inn.)
SUU 021 100 102 2 9-13-1
SDSU 010 310 011 0 7-12-1
SUU: Steve Johnson, Braden Yardley (8), Keli'i Zablan (9) and Garrett Messerly, Justin Neuhart (10). SDSU: Sam Pieczynski, Mike Robinson (4), Caleb Thielbar (7) and Tony Martin.
W-Zablan (3-0). L-Thielbar (4-8).
HR: SDSU-Joel Blake (11), Zach Briggs (6).