Jackrabbit tourney run ends

Friday, May 22

Sioux Falls, S.D.

5 p.m.

South Dakota State University

33-23

Fort Wayne

28-25

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
IPFW	0	0	0	0	4	1	0	1	0	6	9	0
South Dakota State	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	3	5	10	0

5/22/2015 10:02:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: SDSU Sports Info

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – South Dakota State couldn't capitalize on numerous scoring opportunities before having its ninth-inning comeback bid come up just short to Fort Wayne in a season-ending 6-5 loss Friday at the Summit League Baseball Championship at Sioux Falls Stadium.

The victorious Mastodons improved to 28-25 and advanced to the title game at noon Saturday against top-seeded Oral Roberts. Second-seeded SDSU ended its season with a 33-23 overall record.

SDSU stranded two runners four times in the first six innings, including failing to capitalize on back-to-back walks to open the fourth inning. Fort Wayne pitchers issued nine free passes in the game, but only one would eventually come around to score.

The game remained scoreless until the top of the fifth, when Fort Wayne put together a four-run inning against Jackrabbit starter Ryan Froom. Greg Kaiser opened the frame with the Mastodons' first hit of the game, a single to left field, and scored on a double to left field by Brock Logan. Shannon Baker followed with a two-run home run to left field and another run scored later in the inning on a groundout.

Kaiser homered with one out in the sixth inning before the Jackrabbits finally cracked the scoring column in the bottom of the seventh on a single by Reid Clary that scored Paul Jacobson.

Fort Wayne upped the margin back to five with a run in the top of the eighth on a run-scoring single by Baker.

The Jackrabbit comeback bid gained some traction in the home half of the eighth as Anthony Schneider singled with one out, advanced to third on a double by pinch-hitter Jesse Munsterman and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jacobson.

SDSU put together a furious rally in the ninth – all after the first two batters of the inning were retired on groundouts. Seniors Eric Danforth and Al Robbins each singled before Schneider was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Freshman Newt Johnson then cleared the bases with a double to right-center off Cody O'Neal to put the tying run in scoring position.

Fort Wayne brought in Wednesday's starting pitcher, Evan Miller, to pitch to Jacobson and got the strikeout to end the game.

Danforth, Robbins and Zach Coppola each tallied two of the Jackrabbits' 10 hits – seven of which came in the final three innings. Four different players notched two hits for Fort Wayne, which ended the game with nine hits.

Froom surrendered five runs on five hits, striking out four and walking one in six innings.

Mastodon starter Dane Davis pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball before giving way to Jake Weber, who earned the win after pitching four solid innings of relief.

FORT WAYNE 6, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 5
IPFW 000 041 010 6-9-0
SDSU 000 000 113 5-10-0
IPFW: Dane Davis, Jake Weber (4), Cody O'Neal (8), Evan Miller (9) and Jonathan Reece. SDSU: Ryan Froom, Talon Jumper (7), Chad Hodges (9), J.D. Moore (9), Marcus Heemstra (9) and Luke Ringhofer.
W-Weber (4-2). L-Froom (5-3). Save-Miller (1).
HR: IPFW-Shannon Baker (5), Greg Kaiser (10).