Jackrabbits down Bison in Summit opener

Wednesday, May 24

Tulsa, Okla.

noon

South Dakota State University

26-22

North Dakota State

29-24

South Dakota State

North Dakota State

Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen

5/24/2017 4:18:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

TULSA, Okla. – Tony Kjolsing hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to give South Dakota State the final lead in a 6-5, back-and-forth victory over North Dakota State in the opening game of the Summit League Baseball Championship Wednesday afternoon at J.L. Johnson Stadium.

With the win, the Jackrabbits extended their season-best winning streak to nine games and improved to 26-22 overall. SDSU, seeded third, will face the winner of Wednesday's late game between top-seeded Oral Roberts and Western Illinois at 6 p.m. Thursday.

North Dakota State opened the scoring with a pair of runs. Drew Fearing walked and Mason Pierzchalski doubled before Ben Petersen followed with a two-run double to left-center.

SDSU responded with a three-run top of the second inning as they solved Bison starter Luke Lind for the first time in three starts this season. Matt Johnson led off the inning with a double and, after a walk to Newt Johnson, scored on a double-down the third-base line by Josh Kunzmann. Nick Smith gave the Jackrabbits their first lead with a two-run double to right-center that plated both Newt Johnson and Kunzmann.

Jackrabbit starter Tyler Olmstead ran into more trouble in the third, loading the bases without an out before being removed after allowing five walks and three hits in two-plus frames. Bryce Hanson kept the SDSU lead intact as he retired three Bison hitters in a row, followed by a scoreless fourth.

The two squads traded home runs in the fifth. Matt Johnson connected on a solo shot with two outs in the top of the inning, while Petersen countered with a two-run opposite-field homer to right that knotted the game at 4.

NDSU, 29-24 overall, regained the lead in the top of the sixth, capitalizing on the Jackrabbits' lone error of the game to take a 5-4 lead.

The Bison lead lasted only two batters into the top of the seventh. Smith led off with a single to center field and Kjolsing followed with a liner that cleared the wall in left field. It was Kjolsing's fourth home run of the season.

Derek Feige, who allowed the Bison run in the sixth, held NDSU scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings, while all-Summit League closer Chris Halbur pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to record his 10^th save of the season.

Kunzmann led the Jackrabbits' nine-hit attack by going 3-for-5. Smith and Matt Johnson each tallied two hits. Mason Pierzchalski was 4-for-5 to pace NDSU's eight-hit effort.

NOTES
* SDSU improved to 14-13 all-time in Summit League tournament games, including a 5-1 mark against North Dakota State
* The Jackrabbits improved to 6-4 in neutral-site games and 7-4 in one-run contests
* Smith recorded his team-leading 21^st multi-hit game of the season
* Matt Johnson recorded his 50^th career double to move into a tie with Russ Langer (1998-2001) for fourth place on the SDSU career charts
* Matt Johnson's home run was the 26^th of his career
* Feige earned his team-leading fifth win of the season
* Halbur moved into a tie with All-American Trever Vermeulen (2010 and 2011) for second place in single-season saves at SDSU and overtook Bruce Mogen (11 saves from 1983-86) for sole possession of fourth place in career saves at 12

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 6, NORTH DAKOTA STATE
SDSU 030 010 200 6-9-1
NDSU 200 021 000 5-8-1
SDSU: Tyler Olmstead, Bryce Hanson (3), Derek Feige (6), Chris Halbur (9) and Luke Ringhofer. NDSU: Luke Lind, Chris Choles (6) and Danny Palmiscno.
W-Feige (5-2). Choles (4-3). Save-Halbur (10).
HR: SDSU-Matt Johnson (12), Tony Kjolsing (4); NDSU-Ben Petersen (8).

-GoJacks.com-