SDSU splits Saturday games in Florida

Saturday, February 23

Port Charlotte, Fla.

noon ET

South Dakota State University

3-2

Florida International

3-3

Fla. International

South Dakota State

Photo by: Mike Janes Photography

2/23/2019 8:32:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – The South Dakota State split a pair of games Saturday on the second day of the Snowbird Baseball Classic, defeating Florida International in a one-run game, 4-3, before falling to Northeastern, 12-9.

The Jackrabbits ended the day with a 3-3 overall record with one more game to play in the Sunshine State.

Game 1: SDSU 4, Florida International 3
Logan Holtz and Braeden Brown each hit their second home runs of the season as the Jackrabbits overcame an early 2-0 lead to earn a split of their two-game set against FIU.

The Panthers, who posted a 4-1 victory over SDSU on Friday, grabbed the lead Saturday in the top of the third on a two-out, two-run double by Derek Cartaya that plated Juan Teixeira and John Rodriguez, who both reached on free passes. Tyler Olmstead would hold FIU scoreless the remainder of his six-inning outing, striking out nine, walking only two and allowing only one hit in his first start of the season.

SDSU broke through against Panther starter Nick MacDonald with an unearned run in the home half of the third. Josh Kutzke led off with a double, took third on a single by Derek Hackman and later scored on an error.

Holtz's blast to left field with two outs in the bottom of the fourth knotted the game at 2-all and set up the contest to be decided by the bullpens.

Jackrabbit left-hander Bret Barnett held FIU, 3-3 overall, off the board in the seventh and eighth innings, while SDSU touched up Panther reliever Christian Santana with single runs in both frames. Holtz reached on a walk to open the seventh, moved to second on a fielders choice and took third on an error. He scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Hackman.

Brown added an insurance run in the eighth with a solo home run to center.

That proved to be a crucial run for the Jackrabbits, who surrendered a solo home run to Adan Fernandez with one out in the top of the ninth. However, freshman closer Drew Beazley converted his first collegiate save opportunity by retiring two of the next three hitters.

Each team finished with four hits, with no player tallying more than one.

Game 2: Northeastern 12, SDSU 9
Three Jackrabbit errors proved costly as Northeastern scored seven unearned runs in a 12-9 victory at North Charlotte Regional Park.

SDSU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Brown singled, moved to second on a walk and scored on a base hit by Holtz.

Jackrabbit starter Ryan Froom ran into trouble in the third, when Northeastern sent eight men to the plate and scored four times. The first SDSU error of the game set up Cam Walsh's run-scoring single and Corey DiLoreto followed three batters later with a two-run double. The fourth and final run of the frame scored on a groundout.

Northeastern, 3-2 overall, upped its lead to 6-1 with two more unearned runs in the top of the fourth as the Huskies scored on a two-out error and ensuing passed ball.

SDSU began to chip away at the deficit, scoring three times in the bottom of the fourth. Landon Badger opened the inning with a double and later scored on a groundout off the bat of Jamie Berg. The next four Jackrabbit batters all reached safely with Gus Steiger delivering an RBI double and Brown adding a run-scoring single to plate Steiger.

However, Northeastern again took advantage of an SDSU miscue in the fifth, scoring on an RBI single by Ryan Solomon and two-run single by Walsh.

The Huskies added a run in the sixth to push their lead to 10-4 before SDSU answered with a two-run homer by Ira. Northeastern again put a run on the board in the seventh via a balk, but the Jackrabbits again cut into the deficit on a three-run home run by Badger to make the score 11-9.

Northeastern tallied its final run in the top of the eighth as Jared Depere hit a leadoff triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Costello.

Husky closer Andrew Misiaszek retired all four batters he faced to earn his third save of the season. Northeastern starter Brandon Dufault, who was on a predetermined pitch and innings count, was credited with the victory after striking out four and walking two in four frames.

Froom took the loss after allowing five runs – two earned – in three-plus innings. He struck out two and walked one.

SDSU out-hit the Huskies, 14-12, and was led by Brown's 3-for-5 effort at the plate. Ira, Falk and Badger each tallied two hits. Walsh was 3-for-5 to lead Northeastern.

UP NEXT
The two squads close out the Snowbird Baseball Classic by meeting in a rematch at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (9 a.m. Central) Sunday morning.

NOTES

SDSU evened its all-time series against Florida International at a game apiece, while playing Northeastern for the first time
Olmstead has 14 strikeouts in nine innings so far this season
The Jackrabbits have homered in five of six games this season
SDSU's 10 home runs so far this season have been hit by eight different players
The home runs by Ira and Badger were the first of their respective collegiate careers

-GoJacks.com-