Upcoming Event: Baseball at UTSA on February 13, 2026 at 4 p.m.
/
4 p.m.
Baseball
at UTSA
South Dakota State University Athletics
Saturday, May 9
Huether Field
12 p.m.
South Dakota State University
5
vs
7
IPFW
Jacks, Mastodons split Saturday twinbill
5/9/2009 8:00:00 PM | Baseball
The South Dakota State University baseball team had its nine-game Summit League winning streak snapped in the opener, but the Jackrabbits came back to score a season high for runs in Game 2 to salvage a split of a doubleheader with IPFW Saturday at Erv Huether Field.
IPFW won the opener, 7-5, while the Jackrabbits tied a season high with 21 hits en route to a 20-6 victory in the nitecap. SDSU moved to 20-27 overall and 13-9 in The Summit League. The Mastodons ended the day 11-36 overall, 4-19 in league play.
In the opener, the Jackrabbits could not come up with a clutch hit in the late innings, stranding 13 runners in the game. SDSU left two runners on base in each of the sixth and seventh innings and left the bases loaded in the eighth.
SDSU got on the board first as Joel Blake led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run ? his 10th of the season.
IPFW grabbed the lead in the second inning as Mark Carden doubled in the first Mastodon run and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Jason Doerffler.
The Mastodons built the lead to 6-1 with four runs on only two hits in the fourth inning. After Carden singled with one out, Jackrabbit starter Isaac Johnson hit the next two batters to load the bases and then issued a walk to Mason Rovenstine to force in a run. Sam Pieczynski then entered the game for SDSU and proceeded to walk the first batter he faced, followed by a two-run double by Joel Washko.
SDSU trimmed the deficit to 6-3 in the home half of the fourth on a two-run home run by Zach Briggs. The Jackrabbits added single runs in the sixth and eighth innings on run-scoring hits by Blake to make it a one-run game.
Pieczynski settled down the rest of the way, striking out five in his five-inning relief stint.
However, two Jackrabbit errors in the top of the ninth gave IPFW an insurance run. Twice, SDSU put the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but Mastodon reliever Matt Antos induced a double play and flyout to end the game.
A.J. Risedorph earned the victory for IPFW after pitching the first 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out two and walked four, while scattering eight hits.
SDSU held an 11-5 advantage in hits as Blake went 4-for-4 with a home run and two doubles. Eric Cain was 3-for-4.
In Game 2, SDSU scored in every inning it batted during the 20-6 victory.
The Jackrabbits again scored first as Tony Martin doubled to left field to drive in two first-inning runs.
After IPFW scored an unearned run in the top of the second, SDSU tacked on four more in the home half of the inning. Jesse Ayala singled in the first run and Jesse Sawyer added a two-run single. Sawyer later scored on a base hit by Stephen Turner.
SDSU scored twice in the third inning and added five more in the fourth. Sawyer, who was 4-for-4 with six RBI and four runs scored, hit a three-run home run as part of a six-run fifth inning. For Sawyer, it was his 17th round-tripper of the season, tying the Jackrabbit single-season mark set in 1993 by Terry Van Engelenhoven.
The final Jackrabbit run of the game scored when Caleb Thielbar, who was making the first plate appearance of his collegiate career, singled in Billy Stitz in the sixth inning.
Ayala also was 4-for-4 for the Jackrabbits, doubling twice, scoring three times and knocking in three runs. Blake and Stitz each notched three hits, with all three of Stitz's hits going for doubles. As a team, SDSU set a season high with eight doubles.
Freshman Layne Somsen worked around five walks to earn his second consecutive victory. Matt Spinar worked the final three innings to pick up the save, despite allowing three runs in the top of the seventh.
Stacy Herrold took the loss for IPFW.
The two teams will wrap up their four-game series Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Erv Huether Field.
NOTES: SDSU leads the all-time series against IPFW 12-3 ... Stephen Turner had his 15-game hitting streak snapped in the opener ... also in the opener, the Jackrabbits lost for the first time this season when hitting two home runs in a game ... Blake was 7-for-9 in the doubleheader with six RBI ... all four of Stitz's hits on the day were doubles, upping his season total to 11 ... IPFW pitchers issued 14 walks on the day, while Jackrabbit pitchers combined to walk 12 batters ... SDSU reached double figures in runs scored for the ninth time in Summit League play this season
Game 1: IPFW 7, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 5
IPFW 020 400 001 7-5-1
SDSU 100 201 010 5-11-4
IPFW: A.J. Risedorph, Scott Micinski (6), Matt Antos (8) and Mason Rovenstine, Devin Taylor (8). SDSU: Isaac Johnson, Sam Pieczynski (4), Trever Vermeulen (9) and Zach Briggs.
W-Risedorph (2-4). L-Johnson (3-2). Save-Antos (1).
HR: SDSU-Joel Blake (10), Zach Briggs (5).
Game 2: SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 20, IPFW 6
IPFW 012 000 3 6-9-0
SDSU 242 561 X 20-21-2
IPFW: Stacy Herrold, Tom McCowan (4), Mark Carden (5) and Devin Taylor, Mason Rovenstine (5). SDSU: Layne Somsen, Matt Spinar (5) and Tony Martin.
W-Somsen (2-7). L-Herrold (2-7). Save-Spinar (1).
HR: SDSU-Jesse Sawyer (17).
IPFW won the opener, 7-5, while the Jackrabbits tied a season high with 21 hits en route to a 20-6 victory in the nitecap. SDSU moved to 20-27 overall and 13-9 in The Summit League. The Mastodons ended the day 11-36 overall, 4-19 in league play.
In the opener, the Jackrabbits could not come up with a clutch hit in the late innings, stranding 13 runners in the game. SDSU left two runners on base in each of the sixth and seventh innings and left the bases loaded in the eighth.
SDSU got on the board first as Joel Blake led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run ? his 10th of the season.
IPFW grabbed the lead in the second inning as Mark Carden doubled in the first Mastodon run and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Jason Doerffler.
The Mastodons built the lead to 6-1 with four runs on only two hits in the fourth inning. After Carden singled with one out, Jackrabbit starter Isaac Johnson hit the next two batters to load the bases and then issued a walk to Mason Rovenstine to force in a run. Sam Pieczynski then entered the game for SDSU and proceeded to walk the first batter he faced, followed by a two-run double by Joel Washko.
SDSU trimmed the deficit to 6-3 in the home half of the fourth on a two-run home run by Zach Briggs. The Jackrabbits added single runs in the sixth and eighth innings on run-scoring hits by Blake to make it a one-run game.
Pieczynski settled down the rest of the way, striking out five in his five-inning relief stint.
However, two Jackrabbit errors in the top of the ninth gave IPFW an insurance run. Twice, SDSU put the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but Mastodon reliever Matt Antos induced a double play and flyout to end the game.
A.J. Risedorph earned the victory for IPFW after pitching the first 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out two and walked four, while scattering eight hits.
SDSU held an 11-5 advantage in hits as Blake went 4-for-4 with a home run and two doubles. Eric Cain was 3-for-4.
In Game 2, SDSU scored in every inning it batted during the 20-6 victory.
The Jackrabbits again scored first as Tony Martin doubled to left field to drive in two first-inning runs.
After IPFW scored an unearned run in the top of the second, SDSU tacked on four more in the home half of the inning. Jesse Ayala singled in the first run and Jesse Sawyer added a two-run single. Sawyer later scored on a base hit by Stephen Turner.
SDSU scored twice in the third inning and added five more in the fourth. Sawyer, who was 4-for-4 with six RBI and four runs scored, hit a three-run home run as part of a six-run fifth inning. For Sawyer, it was his 17th round-tripper of the season, tying the Jackrabbit single-season mark set in 1993 by Terry Van Engelenhoven.
The final Jackrabbit run of the game scored when Caleb Thielbar, who was making the first plate appearance of his collegiate career, singled in Billy Stitz in the sixth inning.
Ayala also was 4-for-4 for the Jackrabbits, doubling twice, scoring three times and knocking in three runs. Blake and Stitz each notched three hits, with all three of Stitz's hits going for doubles. As a team, SDSU set a season high with eight doubles.
Freshman Layne Somsen worked around five walks to earn his second consecutive victory. Matt Spinar worked the final three innings to pick up the save, despite allowing three runs in the top of the seventh.
Stacy Herrold took the loss for IPFW.
The two teams will wrap up their four-game series Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Erv Huether Field.
NOTES: SDSU leads the all-time series against IPFW 12-3 ... Stephen Turner had his 15-game hitting streak snapped in the opener ... also in the opener, the Jackrabbits lost for the first time this season when hitting two home runs in a game ... Blake was 7-for-9 in the doubleheader with six RBI ... all four of Stitz's hits on the day were doubles, upping his season total to 11 ... IPFW pitchers issued 14 walks on the day, while Jackrabbit pitchers combined to walk 12 batters ... SDSU reached double figures in runs scored for the ninth time in Summit League play this season
Game 1: IPFW 7, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 5
IPFW 020 400 001 7-5-1
SDSU 100 201 010 5-11-4
IPFW: A.J. Risedorph, Scott Micinski (6), Matt Antos (8) and Mason Rovenstine, Devin Taylor (8). SDSU: Isaac Johnson, Sam Pieczynski (4), Trever Vermeulen (9) and Zach Briggs.
W-Risedorph (2-4). L-Johnson (3-2). Save-Antos (1).
HR: SDSU-Joel Blake (10), Zach Briggs (5).
Game 2: SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 20, IPFW 6
IPFW 012 000 3 6-9-0
SDSU 242 561 X 20-21-2
IPFW: Stacy Herrold, Tom McCowan (4), Mark Carden (5) and Devin Taylor, Mason Rovenstine (5). SDSU: Layne Somsen, Matt Spinar (5) and Tony Martin.
W-Somsen (2-7). L-Herrold (2-7). Save-Spinar (1).
HR: SDSU-Jesse Sawyer (17).
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
UTIL
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C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
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1B
/ Baseball
RHP
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