SDSU offense erupts at Air Force

Sunday, March 7

Colorado Springs, Colo.

12 p.m. MT

South Dakota State University

Air Force

3/7/2010 10:00:00 PM | Baseball

By: SDSU Sports Info

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - Eric Cain and Zach Briggs each tallied career highs with five hits to lead South Dakota State's offensive outburst in a 23-9 Jackrabbit victory over Air Force in non-conference baseball action Sunday afternoon.

SDSU improved to 5-2 overall in winning the final three games of the four-game series. Air Force dropped to 3-9 on the season.

The Jackrabbits scored multiple runs in seven of the game's nine innings. SDSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first on a run-scoring single by Cain, two-run double by Briggs and a base hit by Daniel Telford.

Air Force got two runs back in the home half of the first, but SDSU countered with three runs in the second, two in the third and broke the game open with a seven-run fourth inning to build a 16-3 advantage. Cain, who recorded a career-high five RBI, doubled in two runs in the second and tripled in two more runs in the fourth. Billy Stitz and Joel Blake each tallied two-run doubles in the fourth inning.

SDSU played long ball in the eighth inning as Stitz led off the frame with a solo shot and Jesse Sawyer followed three batters later with a two-run blast to put the Jackrabbits up 21-9.

The Jackrabbits' 23 runs were the second most scored by an SDSU team during the Division I era. Of SDSU's 26 hits, nine went for extra bases - five doubles, two triples and two home runs. Seven different players notched at least two hits. In the four-game series, the Jackrabbits hit .451 as a team and scored 59 runs on 79 hits.

Sam Pieczynski earned the victory for SDSU, pitching the first five innings. He allowed six runs on 12 hits and walked one. The Jackrabbit bullpen contingent of Austin Busse, Blaine Alberta and Stephen Bougher allowed only five hits and three runs in four innings.

The Jackrabbits did not commit an error.

SDSU returns to action with a two-game series Tuesday and Wednesday at Arkansas. First pitch each day is set for 3 p.m.

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 23, AIR FORCE 9
SDSU 432 700 232 23-26-0
AF 201 030 300 9-17-1
SDSU: Sam Pieczynski, Austin Busse (6), Blaine Alberta (7), Stephen Bougher (8) and Zach Briggs. AF: Alex Baker, Ben Bertelson, Michael Ruvolo, Ethan Loosen, Todd Del Toro, Alex Lerda-Plog and Travis Lane, Alex Bast (6).
W-Pieczynski (1-1). L-Baker (0-2). SV-none.
HR: SDSU-Billy Stitz (1), Jesse Sawyer (3); AF-Addison Gentry (4).