SDSU, Bears split Sunday twinbill

Sunday, March 21

Greeley, Colo.

11 a.m. MT

South Dakota State University

Northern Colorado [DH]

3/21/2010 7:00:00 PM | Baseball

By: SDSU Sports Info

GREELEY, Colo. - South Dakota State and Northern Colorado wrapped up their abbreviated three-game baseball series by splitting a doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Jackson Field.

The Jackrabbits won the opener 6-4 before UNC claimed a 10-9 victory in the nitecap. SDSU moved to 10-6 on the season, with the Bears moving to 4-10.

In Game 1, the Jackrabbits strung together five singles to take a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning, including run-scoring hits by Eric Cain, Erik DeJong and Billy Stitz.

After UNC scored a run in the bottom of the third, SDSU built the lead again to three runs, 4-1, on an RBI base hit by Jesse Sawyer in the top of the fifth inning.

The Bears scored twice in the home half of the fifth to pull to within a run, but SDSU put the game out of reach in the ninth on a two-run, pinch-hit home run by Daniel Telford.

UNC scored a run in the bottom of the ninth against the Jackrabbit bullpen on a two-out run-scoring single by A. Schenk, but Trever Vermeulen retired the next hitter to record his second save of the series and fourth of the season.

Stitz and Zach Briggs each posted two of the Jackrabbits' 11 hits.

Jackrabbit starter Blake Treinen improved to 2-0 on the season, recording eight strikeouts in six innings. He walked four and allowed four hits in giving up three runs.

Game 2 got off to a rough start for SDSU, which allowed four unearned runs in the bottom of the first inning. Jackrabbit starter Jared Koch, who was making his first appearance since the 2008 season following an arm injury, lasted only 2/3 of an inning as he allowed a double, single and triple after an error earlier in the frame.

SDSU got right back in to the game with a three-run second inning. Sawyer led off the frame with a double and scored on a double by John Lee. Zach Briggs later scored on a groundout by Cain and Andrew Melton delivered a run-scoring single up the middle to plate Lee.

The Bears extended their lead to 8-3 with one run in the third and three more in the fourth. M. Shannon tripled in the first two runs before scoring on a sacrifice fly.

Sawyer hit his team-leading sixth home run with one out in the fifth inning and Melton walked with the bases loaded for his second RBI of the game later in the inning.

SDSU tied the game at 9-all with two runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth. Cain accounted for the seventh-inning runs with a two-run homer, while Joel Blake added a solo shot to lead off the eighth. A sacrifice fly by Lee later in the eighth knocked in Sawyer with the tying run.

Another defensive lapse allowed the Bears to score the game-winning run. Tony Crudo opened the inning by reaching on an error. After an unsuccessful bunt attempt, Tyler Borzileri stole second and scored on Mark Shannon's base hit to center field.

The Jackrabbits threatened in the top of the ninth. Joel Blake reached on an error with two outs and Sawyer walked on four pitches. UNC reliever Tyler Wallace then retired pinch-hitter Zach Rhodes on a ground ball to first base to end the game.

Hits were even at 14. Briggs and Cain were each 3-for-4, while Blake, Sawyer and Lee each tallied two hits for SDSU.

GAME 1: SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 6, NORTHERN COLORADO 4
SDSU 030 010 002 6-11-1
UNC 001 020 001 4-7-0
SDSU: Blake Treinen, Alex Oberle (7), Trever Vermeulen (9) and Zach Briggs. UNC: Joe Willman, Ben Packard, Cameron Tallman, Forbes Scott and Seth Budde.
W-Treinen (2-0). L-Willman (1-2). SV-Vermeulen (4).
HR: SDSU-Daniel Telford (3).

GAME 2: NORTHERN COLORADO 10, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 9
SDSU 030 020 220 9-14-3
UNC 401 310 01X 10-14-2
SDSU: Jared Koch, Sam Pieczynski (1), Shane Kraemer (7) and Zach Briggs, Joel Blake (8). UNC: Mark Shannon, Kris Vierra (6), Brendan Hall (7), Casey Coy (8), Tyler Wallace (9) and Seth Budde.
W-Coy (1-0). L-Kraemer (1-2). SV-Wallace (1).
HR: SDSU-Jesse Sawyer (6), Eric Cain (4), Joel Blake (2).