Jackrabbits drop opener in 14 innings

Saturday, May 12

Brookings, S.D.

2 p.m.

South Dakota State University

15-26, 13-9

Western Illinois

14-25, 11-10

Western Illinois

South Dakota State

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia

5/12/2018 7:54:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Western Illinois scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the 14^th inning and held off South Dakota State for a 4-3 victory in the opening game of a Summit League baseball series Saturday afternoon at Erv Huether Field.

The Leathernecks improved to 14-25 overall and 11-10 in league play. SDSU dropped to 15-26 overall and 13-9 in The Summit League.

Dillon Sears opened the 14^th inning by reaching on error, moved up bases on a sacrifice bunt and wild pitch, and scored on Mitch Ellis' single to left field off SDSU closer Alex Marro. Ellis scored what would be the decisive run on a base hit by Justin Fitzpatrick after stealing second.

SDSU put together a rally in the bottom of the 14^th, which began when Gus Steiger and Landon Badger reached on back-to-back errors. A one-out walk to Ian Cote loaded the bases before Anthony Schneider brought the Jackrabbits back to within a run with a sacrifice fly to right field. However, Leatherneck reliever Jordan Mikel, who pitched the final three innings to earn the win, coaxed a groundout for the final out with the tying run at third.

Western Illinois opened the scoring with an unearned run in the top of the third as Bailey Montgomery delivered a run-scoring single up the middle.

The Jackrabbits, who were held without a hit until the fifth inning, countered with a run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Tony Kjolsing that scored pinch-runner Philip Jacobson.

WIU regained the lead in the top of the eighth on a squeeze bunt by Drue Galassi, but the Jackrabbits again tied the game and sent it to extra innings with a run in the home half of the frame. Schneider drew a one-out walk, stole second and slid under the tag just in time on a throw home after Newt Johnson singled sharply to left field.

Both starting pitchers finished with nine strikeouts. SDSU's Brady Moxham walked three and allowed only four hits in fanning a career high over 6 2/3 innings. The Leathernecks' Ryan Dunne walked four and surrendered three hits over 7 1/3 innings.

Tyler Olmstead tallied seven strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings of one-run relief for the Jackrabbits, while Colan Borchers contributed 3 2/3 scoreless innings for Western.

WIU finished with a 9-7 advantage in hits and was led by Steve McShane's three hits. Schneider and Steiger each tallied two hits for the Jackrabbits.

UP NEXT
The two teams are scheduled to wrap up their weekend series Sunday by playing a doubleheader, starting at noon.

NOTES

SDSU leads the all-time series, 30-22
The season series is tied, 1-1, with both games decided in extra innings
The Jackrabbits fell to 2-3 in extra-innings games this season
SDSU had won five consecutive Summit League series openers
Jackrabbit pitchers combined to record 18 strikeouts, tying the program's single-game mark in the Division I era (first set in first game of doubleheader versus Oral Roberts on May 8, 2010)
Schneider has reached base safely in 20 consecutive games
Steiger notched his 14^th multi-hit game of the season to tie Josh Falk for the team lead
Kjolsing moved into ninth place on the career assists chart at SDSU with 321, passing Dave Lane (317 assists from 1983-86)
Marro had his scoreless innings streak end at 13 innings, when he allowed an unearned run with one out in the 14^th
SDSU matched a season high by committing five errors