McCay pitches Jacks to series win

Sunday, February 17

Russellville, Ark.

noon

South Dakota State University

2-1

UT Martin

1-2

South Dakota State

UT Martin

Photo by: Miranda Sampson

2/17/2019 3:46:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Freshman Nic McCay struck out eight over five shutout frames and the South Dakota State offense got in gear in the middle innings en route to a 7-1, series-clinching victory over UT Martin in nonconference college baseball action Sunday afternoon at Tech Field.

The Jackrabbits improved to 2-1 on the young season, while UT Martin fell to 1-2.

After being held without a hit the first time through the order, SDSU broke through with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning. Nick Smith singled through the right side before Gus Steiger hit an opposite-field two-run home run to right off Skyhawk starter Austen Bullington.

Smith upped the Jackrabbit lead to 4-0 an inning later, greeting reliever Dom Bazzani by lining a single to left-center that scored both Luke Ira and Derek Hackman.

That would prove to be more than enough offense for McCay, who struck out eight, walked two and allowed only four hits in his collegiate debut. The right-hander from Carlisle, Iowa, worked out of a big jam in the bottom of the fourth by striking out the next two hitters and inducing a groundout back to the mound after UT Martin put runners on second and third with no outs to begin the inning.

McCay struck out at least one batter in all five innings of work.

SDSU tacked on two more runs in the sixth without the benefit of a hit. Braeden Brown and Josh Falk drew back-to-back walks before Logan Holtz was hit by a pitch. Landon Badger walked with the bases loaded to force in Brown and Falk later scored on a wild pitch.

UT Martin ended the Jackrabbit shutout bid against the SDSU bullpen in the bottom of the eighth as Creighton Eldridge delivered a run-scoring single that plated Casey Harford.

Smith led SDSU's 10-hit attack by going 3-for-5. Freshman Luke Ira tallied two hits, including a double, with Steiger contributing a pair of hits.

Blake Daniels was the lone Skyhawk player with more than one hit, turning in a 2-for-4 effort at the plate.

UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits will travel to Port Charlotte, Florida, for the Snowbird Invitational. SDSU is scheduled to play four games over three days, starting Friday with a matchup against Florida International. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. Eastern (1 p.m. Central) at North Charlotte Regional Park-Field 10.

NOTES

SDSU leads the all-time series, 5-3
The Jackrabbits homered in all three games of the series, hitting a total of six round-trippers (from six different players)
Bret Barnett struck out two in pitching scoreless ball over the sixth and seventh innings
SDSU pitchers combined for 34 strikeouts in the three-game series
Falk had his nine-game hitting streak dating back to last season come to end, but reached base safely for the 12^th straight game after drawing a pair of walks Sunday
Smith now holds the longest active hitting streak on the team at seven games
Ira ended the series 6-for-13 (.462 average) with two doubles and a triple in the opening weekend of his collegiate career