Jacks drop marathon game to Western Illinois

Friday, May 1

Erv Huether Field

3:00 PM

South Dakota State University

26-18, 13-9

Western Illinois

15-26, 8-14

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Western Illinois	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	6	9	21	1
South Dakota State	0	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	4	12	1

5/1/2015 9:45:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: SDSU Sports Info

Western Illinois erupted for six runs in the top of the 12^th inning, defeating South Dakota State by a 9-4 count Friday afternoon in the opening game of a three-game Summit League baseball series at Erv Huether Field.

The Fighting Leathernecks improved to 15-26 overall and 8-14 in league play. The Jackrabbits, who dropped their third game in a row, fell to 26-18 overall and 13-9 in The Summit League.

WIU sent 11 men to the plate in the decisive 12^th inning, recording seven hits – all singles – in the frame. J.J. Reimer, who was 5-for-6 on the day, drove in the first run with a base hit to left field, with another run scoring on the play on the lone Jackrabbit error of the game. Aden Campbell, Adam McGinnis and Kendall King added run-scoring singles later in the inning before Brent Turner capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.

The Fighting Leathernecks tied the game with a run in the top of the ninth against SDSU closer J.D. Moore. Mark Garton was hit by a pitch with one out and pinch-runner Erik Maki moved into scoring position on a passed ball before Roman Visintine chopped a single through the left side to plate Maki.

SDSU, which stranded 19 runners in the game, left two men on in the 10^th and the bases loaded after three walks in the 11^th. The Jackrabbits also left the bases loaded in the first and sixth innings without scoring.

Reimer put WIU on the board, hitting the first pitch of the second inning off Adam Bray well over the fence in right field. Adam McGinnis added a run-scoring single later in the same inning to give the Fighting Leathernecks a 2-0 lead.

Bray kept WIU in check the remainder of his seven-inning start, allowing the Jackrabbits to tie the game with runs in the second and fourth innings, before taking the lead in the home half of the seventh. Zach Coppola singled in the first Jackrabbit run, while Eric Danforth plated the fourth-inning run with a groundout that scored Al Robbins, who led off with a double.

Robbins gave the Jackrabbits their only lead of the game with a two-out single that drove in Luke Ringhofer.

Western Illinois appeared on the verge of taking the lead in the 10^th, but Coppola caught a liner in center field and fired a strike to home plate to retire the Fighting Leatherneck runner for an inning-ending double play.

WIU finished with a 21-12 advantage in hits. Turner, McGinnis and Visintine each tallied three hits. Robbins led SDSU by going 3-for-5 at the plate. Jesse Munsterman plated the final Jackrabbit run in the bottom of the 12^th with a run-scoring single.

Bray struck out six and did not walk a batter in a no-decision effort. Marcus Heemstra, who allowed the first three Western Illinois batters in the 12^th to reach base, took the loss.

Preston Owings pitched three shutout innings to pick up the win for WIU.

The two squads are scheduled to play the middle game of their three-game series at 1 p.m. Saturday.

NOTES: SDSU leads the season series, 3-2 … both of Western Illinois wins over the Jackrabbits this season have been in extra innings, including a 2-1, 14-inning win on March 21 at Macomb, Illinois … the Jackrabbits also stranded 19 runners in the previous extra-inning loss to WIU … SDSU is 1-3 in extra-inning games this season … Bray tied a Jackrabbit record with his 48^th career start, matching the mark set by former teammate Stephen Bougher from 2010-13 … Coppola extended his streak of games reaching base safely to 38 and also recorded his 10^th outfield assist of the season … Danforth extended his string of games reaching base safely to 32 games with a single in the 10^th inning … Ringhofer upped his hitting streak to 11 games … 10 of Western Illinois' 21 hits came in extra innings … time of the game was 3 hours, 53 minutes

WESTERN ILLINOIS 9, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 4 (12 inn.)
WIU 020 000 001 006 9-21-1
SDSU 010 100 100 001 4-12-1
WIU: Joe Mortillaro, Preston Church (5), Tyler Owings (9), Jordan Pannell (12) and J.J. Reimer. SDSU: Adam Bray, Andrew Clemen (8), J.D. Moore (9), Marcus Heemstra (11), Blake Fiedelman (12) and Reid Clary.
W-Owings (1-1). L-Heemstra (0-3). Save-none.
HR: WIU-J.J. Reimer (3).