Jackrabbits recover for series-clinching win

Sunday, May 7

Brookings, S.D.

1 p.m.

South Dakota State University

19-22, 12-12

Western Illinois

18-25, 12-10

Western Illinois

South Dakota State

Photo by: Jason Salzman

5/7/2017 5:45:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Skyler Wenninger lined a single to center field with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to drive in Landon Badger with the winning run as the South Dakota State baseball team recovered for an 8-7 victory over Western Illinois Sunday afternoon at Erv Huether Field.

With the series-clinching win in the three-game Summit League set, the Jackrabbits improved to 19-22 overall and 12-12 in league play. Western dropped to 18-25 overall and 12-10 in The Summit League.

Wenninger's heroics came after Western Illinois rallied from an early 6-0 deficit to tie the game at 7. All of the Fighting Leathernecks' runs came on home runs, including a pair of three-run shots by catcher Adam McGinnis in the fifth and seventh innings. WIU knotted the game at 7-all with two outs in the top of the ninth on a solo homer to left-center by Drue Galassi off Jackrabbit closer Chris Halbur.

SDSU's game-winning rally started with a two-out walk to Landon Badger, who then stole second. Wenninger then came up with his second walkoff hit of the season as lined a 2-2 pitch from Sam Cottingham-Beard into center field, allowing Badger to race home ahead of the tag.

The Jackrabbits scored in each of the first three innings, starting with a two-out, run-scoring double down the left-field line by Newt Johnson that plated Newt Johnson.

Tony Kjolsing contributed a two-out, two-run single in the second inning before the Jackrabbits scored three times in the bottom of the third. Matt Johnson connected on his team-leading 10^th home run of the season to lead off the frame. Josh Kunzmann plated another run with a squeeze bunt and Badger rapped a run-scoring triple to the right-field corner to drive in Jake Thompson.

Badger, who was 2-for-3 with a double, added a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning that pushed the Jackrabbit lead to 7-3.

Jackrabbit starter Ethan Kenkel pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings before allowing the first of McGinnis' two homers. The senior right-hander struck out five, walked two and hit three batters. Halbur worked the final 2 2/3 innings, striking out five, as he allowed only his second run of the season in 17 appearances.

SDSU held a 10-7 advantage in hits. Newt Johnson tallied a pair of doubles, while Matt Johnson finished with a pair of hits. Galassi and McGinnis each had two hits for Western.

UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits will close out the road portion of their Summit League schedule by traveling to Fort Wayne May 12-14. Friday's series opener is set for a 3 p.m. Eastern Time (2 p.m. Central) first pitch at Mastodon Field in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

NOTES
* SDSU and Western Illinois split the regular season series, 3-3
* The Jackrabbits recorded 15 extra-base hits in the three-game series (11 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs)
* Matt Johnson's home run was the 24^th of his career – the most among active Jackrabbit players
* Newt Johnson upped his team-leading doubles total to 15
* Of Newt Johnson's 31 runs batted in, 23 have come in Summit League contests
* Kjolsing extended his hitting streak to five games and has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games
* Kjolsing drove in a team-high seven runs in the series, with at least two RBI in all three games
* Wenninger's other walkoff hit this season was a bunt single, which also scored Badger, in the bottom of the 11^th inning of the March 31 series opener against Fort Wayne
* Halbur has struck out 29 batters in 24 2/3 innings this season

-GoJacks.com-