Seahawks power past Jackrabbits

Friday, February 26

Wilmington, N.C.

3:00 PM

South Dakota State University

0-5

UNC-Wilmington

4-0

South Dakota State

UNCW

2/26/2016 8:55:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: SDSU Sports Info

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Brian Mims drove in six runs and hit one of three North Carolina-Wilmington home runs to lead the Seahawks to a 15-5 victory over South Dakota State in the opening game of the Hughes Bros. Challenge for both teams Friday afternoon at Brooks Field.

UNCW, an NCAA Tournament team last season, improved to 4-0 overall, while the Jackrabbits dropped to 0-5.

SDSU gained an early 2-0 lead by scoring a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first inning. Anthony Schneider singled and scored on a Seahawk throwing error for the first run, while Jesse Munsterman came across to score on the second UNCW miscue later in the frame.

Mims tied the game in the home half of the first with a long two-run home run to left and the Seahawks took control of the game with a five-run second inning. Steven Linkous, who stole four bases and scored four times in the game, drove in the first two runs of the second inning with a single and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Mims. Nick Feight tripled in the final run of the frame.

Jackrabbit starter Ryan Froom settled down for the remainder of his five-inning outing, allowing one run over the final three innings. Froom struck out two and walked two.

SDSU pulled to within 8-4 with two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Tony Kjolsing led off with an infield single and scored two batters later on a triple to center field by Paul Jacobson. Schneider plated Jacobson with his second hit of the game.

Gavin Stupienski hit a solo home run in the seventh inning and Feight capped the Seahawk scoring with a two-run shot in the eighth. Mims added a three-run double – his third extra-base hit of the game – as part of a six-run eighth. UNCW finished with a 14-7 advantage in hits, including three each by Mims and Feight.

Cody Sharrow doubled in Matt Johnson for the final Jackrabbit run of the game, in the top of the ninth inning.

UNCW starter Ryan Foster allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits over six innings, striking out three and walking one.

The Jackrabbits are scheduled to play twice on Saturday, meeting Virginia Commonwealth at 10 a.m. Eastern (9 a.m. Central) and Eastern Kentucky at 6 p.m. ET.

UNC-WILMINGTON 15, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 5
SDSU 200 020 001 5-7-2
UNCW 250 100 16X 15-14-3
SDSU: Ryan Froom, Henry DeCaster (6) and Luke Ringhofer. UNCW-Ryan Foster, Austin Easter (7), Brandon Mulier (9) and Gavin Stupienski.
W-Foster (2-0). L-Froom (0-2). Save-none.
HR: UNCW-Brian Mims (1); Gavin Stupienski (1); Nick Feight (2).