SDSU roughed up by Gents

Friday, April 30

Huether Field

3 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Centenary (La.)

4/30/2010 6:00:00 PM | Baseball

By: SDSU Sports Info

Centenary scored early and often to defeat South Dakota State, 19-7, Friday afternoon in the opening game of a four-game Summit League baseball series at Erv Huether Field.

The Gents, who rapped out 18 hits, improved to 21-16 overall and 10-2 in The Summit League as the game was ended after seven innings by the 10-run rule. SDSU, which lost for the first time in five home games, fell to 25-14 overall and 8-5 in league play.

After stranding a runner at third base in the first inning, Centenary grabbed the lead in the second inning. Alex Todd doubled to lead off the frame and Jeff Ericson followed with a two-run home run.

The Gents tallied six runs in the third inning — all with two outs. Jackrabbit starter Sam Pieczynski retired the first two batters before six consecutive Centenary batters reached base. Todd doubled in the first two runs and Derek Dalzell drove in a run with an infield single before Jeff Schaffert launched a three-run home run to left center.

Things went from bad to worse for SDSU in the top of the fourth as Centenary erupted for 10 runs. The first seven hitters all reached against reliever Blaine Alberta, highlighted by a three-run home run by Cliff Shepard, who added a two-run single later in the frame. Dalzell added a two-run double and Todd posted his third hit and third RBI of the game with a base hit to end the scoring.

The Jackrabbits broke through with a pair of runs in the home half of the fourth with a two-out rally of their own. Jesse Sawyer singled to center and scored on a double to the left-field wall by John Lee. Eric Cain delivered Lee with a base hit to right field.

SDSU put together a five-run inning in the sixth against Centenary ace Boone Whiting on a pair of home runs. Sawyer led off the inning with his 11^th home run of the season and Scott Hood added a two-run shot later in the inning. Daniel Telford added an RBI double.

Keegan Acker, Shepard, Michael Tompkins and Todd each had three of Centenary's 18 hits in the game. Sawyer was the lone Jackrabbit with more than one of the team's eight safeties.

Whiting improved to 5-1 as he went 5 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking four.

Jackrabbit reliever Austin Busse surrendered only one run in 2 1/3 innings of work.

SDSU and Centenary are scheduled to play a doubleheader Saturday, starting at noon.

NOTES: SDSU leads the all-time series, 6-4 ... Friday's game marked the first time Centenary had played in Brookings ... Sawyer moved into sole possession of eighth place on the Jackrabbit home run chart with his 30^th career round-tripper, breaking a tie with Ryan Hansen (29 home runs from 2001-04) ... Hood's home run was his first in a Jackrabbit uniform ... SDSU closer Trever Vermeulen lowered his earned run average to 0.94 after pitching a 1-2-3 seventh inning ... Cain moved to within five runs batted in of the SDSU single-season record with 58, tying Sawyer's total last season to rank third

CENTENARY (La.) 19, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 7
CC            026            (10)10            0            -            19            18            1
SDSU            000            205            0            -            7            8            0
CC: Boone Whiting, Trey McGee (6), Dakota Robinson (7) and Jeff Schaffert. SDSU: Sam Pieczynski, Blaine Alberta (4), Austin Busse (4), Trever Vermeulen (7) and Zach Briggs, Nick Andrews (7).
W-Whiting (5-1). L-Pieczynski (4-3). SV-none.
HR: CC-Cliff Shepard (4), Jeff Ericson (3), Jeff Schaffert (2); SDSU-Jesse Sawyer (11), Scott Hood (1).