Jackrabbits top Gophers, 9-6

Wednesday, April 27

Erv Huether Field

3 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Minnesota

4/27/2011 8:08:00 PM | Baseball

By: SDSU Sports Info

South Dakota State scored all of its runs with two outs, highlighted by a six-run outburst in the third inning, as the Jackrabbit baseball team went on to defeat Minnesota, 9-6, Wednesday afternoon at a windy Erv Huether Field.

In defeating the Golden Gophers for the fourth consecutive time, SDSU improved to 24-11 overall. The Jackrabbits have won 21 of their last 23 games. Minnesota dropped to 14-16 on the season.

Minnesota grabbed the early lead with a run in the first inning. A.J. Pettersen led off the game with a base hit, moved to second on a sacrifice and scored on a double to right-center field by Justin Gominsky.

The Jackrabbits countered with a pair of runs in the home half of the second. After the first two batters in the inning were retired, the bottom three hitters in the SDSU lineup - Eric Cain, Andrew Melton and Zach Briggs - hit consecutive singles. Briggs' single, a cue shot down the first-base line, plated Cain to knot the game at 1. Minnesota starter D.J. Snelten then issued consecutive walks to Beau Hanowski and Billy Stitz, the latter of which forced in the go-ahead run.

SDSU broke the game open with its six-run third inning. A walk and back-to-back hit batters loaded the bases for Briggs, who plated all three runners with a double to the wall in right. Hanowski added a wind-aided double, and Billy Stitz and Phil Paquette each notched RBI singles as seven consecutive batters reached with two outs.

Minnesota countered with three runs in the fourth inning to chase Jackrabbit starter Shane Kraemer, who walked four batters in the inning and five in 3 2/3 innings of work. The first two runs of the inning scored when two SDSU players collided in shallow right-center field on a ball off the bat of Kurt Shlangen.

Both teams' bullpens settled down for the rest of the game, although Minnesota pulled to within 8-6 on a solo home run by Matt Puhl to lead off the sixth inning and the Golden Gophers scored an unearned run in the eighth.

The Jackrabbits got an unearned run back in their half of the eighth as Briggs drew a bases-loaded walk. The junior catcher from Dallas, Texas, ended the day 3-for-3 and tied a career high with five RBI.

Stitz, Joel Blake and Paquette each had two hits for SDSU, which held a 12-9 advantage in hits. No player had more than one hit for the Golden Gophers, who notched nine in the contest.

Austin Busse was credited with the win in relief after pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Trever Vermeulen pitched the final two innings for his sixth save of the season.

SDSU continues its homestand by opening a four-game Summit League series against Oakland on Friday afternoon. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. at Erv Huether Field.

NOTES: Minnesota leads the all-time series, 26-9, despite SDSU's four-game winning streak ... SDSU is 3-0 against Big Ten Conference opponents this season and a combined 7-1 the last two seasons ... Stitz upped his school-record hits total to 281 ... Vermeulen recorded his 19th career save - most in SDSU history ... Vermeulen has saved each of the Jackrabbits' last four wins against Minnesota ... Vermeulen has not allowed an earned run in his last nine appearances, covering 17 2/3 innings ... Blake notched career double No. 61 in the first inning, adding to his Jackrabbit record ... Briggs has driven in nine runs over the last two games after tallying only three RBI in his first 24 games of the season ... the Jackrabbits improved to 6-1 at Erv Huether Field this season

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 9, MINNESOTA 6
MINN 100 301 010 6-9-1
SDSU 026 000 01X 9-12-1
MINN: D.J. Snelten, Tim Ryan (3), Alex Tukey (3), Luke Rasmussen (6), Cullen Sexton (8), Scott Matyas (8) and Kurt Schlangen, Nick O'Shea. SDSU: Shane Kraemer, Austin Busse (4), Alex Oberle (6), Erik DeJong (7), Trever Vermeulen (8) and Zach Briggs.
W-Busse (2-0). L-Snelten (0-2). Save-Vermeulen (6).
HR: MINN-Matt Puhl (1).