Completed Event: Baseball versus Arizona State on May 30, 2026 , Loss , 0, to, 17
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FINAL
Baseball
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vs Arizona State
17
South Dakota State University Athletics
Friday, May 7
Huether Field
3 p.m.
South Dakota State University
12
vs
11
Oral Roberts (Okla.)
Jackrabbits rally past Oral Roberts
5/7/2010 10:00:00 PM | Baseball
South Dakota State pushed across two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to record a 12-11 victory over league-leading Oral Roberts in the opening game of a four-game Summit League baseball series Friday afternoon at Erv Huether Field.
The Jackrabbits improved to 28-15 overall and 11-6 in The Summit League. ORU dropped to 26-19on the season, 13-4 in league play.
SDSU's winning rally started when Jesse Sawyer led off the ninth by being hit by a pitch from Sean Johnson. After Sawyer moved to second on a groundout, Eric Cain drove in his four run of the game with a single to right field that plated Sawyer with the tying run. Cain advanced to second on the throw to the plate and later moved to third on a base hit by Zach Briggs.
With runners at the corners, Beau Hanowski hit a slow roller up the third-base line. Cain, who earlier in the at-bat scampered back to third base on a failed squeeze attempt, slid under and around the tag on a close play at the plate for the winning run.
Oral Roberts opened the scoring with a three-run third inning that included a two-run home run by Seth Furmanek.
SDSU got to within 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Daniel Telford led off the frame with a home run and the second run scored on a double-play grounder - the third of the game induced by Golden Eagle starter Jameson Dunn.
ORU built the lead to 7-2 in the top of the fifth inning, highlighted by a three-run home run by Colby Price.
The Jackrabbits battled back to take a 9-7 lead with a seven-run home half of the fifth. Briggs ignited the rally with a leadoff home run. Billy Stitz doubled in a run, recording his 200th career hit in the process, and later scored on a sacrifice fly. Later in the inning, Cain greeted reliever Bryce Smolen with a two-run double to center and Briggs added a two-run single to put SDSU out in front.
The lead was short-lived, however, as ORU used the long ball to score four times in the top of the sixth. Chris Elder clubbed a three-run homer to right center off Jackrabbit starter Stephen Bougher and the next hitter, Brett Sowers, followed with a solo shot off reliever Alex Oberle.
SDSU made it a one-run game on an odd play in the seventh. With the bases loaded and one out, Cain looped an apparent single to left field as Joel Blake scored, but Sawyer was forced out at third base.
Jackrabbit closer Trever Vermeulen earned his fifth victory of the season as he pitched the final 1 2/3 innings. Vermeulen, the nation's leader in earned run average at 0.79, struck out four batters, including the side in the top of the ninth.
The Jackrabbits held a 16-12 advantage in hits. Sawyer was 3-for-3, while Briggs went 3-for-4. Four other SDSU hitters notched two hits.
The two teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader Saturday starting at noon.
NOTES: Oral Roberts leads the all-time series, 18-4 ... the start of the game was delayed 15 minutes and the game was played in intermittent rain showers ... Blake broke his own single-season record for doubles when he recorded his 22nd of the season in the fourth inning ... Cain established a new Jackrabbit single-season record for runs batted in with 64, surpassing the mark of 63 set by Cole Irish in 1996 ... Stitz recorded his 29th multi-hit game of the season, upping his season hit total to 78, which ranks third most in a season at SDSU ... Briggs homered for the second consecutive game ... Vermeulen has not allowed an earned run in his last 11 appearances and has not allowed a single run - earned or unearned - to a Summit League opponent in 2010 ... the Jackrabbits reached double figures in runs for the 19th time this season
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 12, ORAL ROBERTS 11
ORU 300 044 000 -- 11 12 1
SDSU 000 270 102 -- 12 16 0
ORU: Jameson Dunn, Bryce Smolen (5), Sean Johnson (9) and Bennett Pickar. SDSU: Stephen Bougher, Alex Oberle (6), Trever Vermeulen (8) and Zach Briggs.
W-Vermeulen (5-1). L-Johnson (2-2). SV-none.
HR: ORU-Seth Furmanek (16), Chris Elder (6), Brett Sowers (5), Colby Price (8); SDSU-Daniel Telford (4), Zach Briggs (6).
Players Mentioned
UTIL
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RHP
/ Baseball
C
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IF
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OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballSunday, May 31
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