Jacks, Bison split Saturday slate

Saturday, April 13

Omaha, Neb.

noon

South Dakota State University

15-13, 8-5

North Dakota State

8-16, 6-7

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
North Dakota State	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	5	1
South Dakota State	0	0	2	2	0	1	0	0	X	5	8	2

Photo by: Mike Janes/Four Seam Images

4/13/2019 7:27:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

OMAHA, Neb. – South Dakota State and North Dakota traded Summit League baseball victories the two teams spilt a Summit League doubleheader Saturday afternoon at J.J. Isaacson Field. The Jackrabbits won the opener, 5-2, while NDSU responded with a 6-2 victory in the nightcap.

SDSU moved to 15-14 overall and 8-6 in The Summit League. NDSU ended the day 9-16 overall and 7-7 in league play.

Game 1: South Dakota State 5, North Dakota State 2
Tyler Olmstead pitched seven strong innings to lead the Jackrabbits to a win in the series opener.

SDSU grabbed the lead for good with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Logan Holtz started the rally with a single and scored on Derek Hackman's double to the gap in right-center field. Two batters later, Hackman scored on a two-out single to left by Gus Steiger.

The Jackrabbits tacked on two more runs in the fourth as Holtz delivered a two-run single to left that scored both Josh Falk and Luke Ira.

NDSU, which scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch in the top of the third, pulled to within 4-2 in the top of the sixth with an unearned run. Brock Anderson reached on an error to lead off the frame and later came around to score on a base hit by Jack Simonsen.

SDSU answered with a run in the home half of the sixth. Ira led off the inning with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Braeden Brown and scored when Landon Badger greeted reliever Blake Tritch with a single up the middle.

Olmstead struck out six and walked only one while scattering five hits – all singles – over his seven innings of work. Jackrabbit closer Bret Barnett walked the first batter he faced to lead off the eighth, but retired the next six NDSU batters in succession to earn his fourth save of the season.

Ira and Holtz each tallied two of the Jackrabbits' eight hits. Jayse McLean led NDSU with a pair of hits.

Game 2: North Dakota State 6, South Dakota State 2
The Bison jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and starter Max Loven took a shutout into the seventh inning as NDSU salvaged a split of the twinbill.

SDSU starter Ryan Froom walked the leadoff batter in each of the first two innings and both came around to score. NDSU scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first on only one hit, taking advantage of the leadoff walk to Bennett Hostetler, a dropped pop fly and hit batter. The first run came across on a groundout, with the second scoring on an infield single by Jayse McLean

NDSU knocked out Froom in the top of the second as Carter Thompson and Jake Malec opened the frame by drawing walks before both scored on a single to left field by Anderson.

The Jackrabbit bullpen did its part to keep the team within striking distance. Alex Marro retired all eight batters he faced after taking over for Froom, while Brett Mogen gave up only one run over the final four innings.

Charley Hesse plated the fifth Bison run of the game with an RBI single off Korey Kuhlmann in the fifth, while Thompson doubled off Mogen to start the sixth and scored on a single by Peter Brookshaw.

Trailing 6-0, the Jackrabbits got on the board with a pair of runs in the seventh. Brown walked and Ryan McDonald singled to chase Loven. An infield single by Holtz off reliever Jordan Harms loaded the bases before Drew Beazley was hit by a pitch to force in a run. Steiger later added a sacrifice fly for what proved to be the final margin.

NDSU's Parker Harm shut the door, allowing only two baserunners over the final two innings.

Anderson and McLean each tallied two of the Bison's eight hits. Holtz and Ryan McDonald each collected two of the Jackrabbits' six hits.

Loven struck out three and walked two in six-plus innings to pick up the victory.

Marro notched the only three strikeouts in the game by SDSU pitchers.

UP NEXT
The decisive third game of the series is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch Sunday.

NOTES

SDSU leads the all-time series, 118-70
Jackrabbit head coach Rob Bishop coached his 1,000^th collegiate game in the opener and has 608-392-1 overall record in 20 seasons
SDSU is 11-1 this season when leading after six innings
Ira recorded his team-leading 13^th multi-hit game of the season in the opener
Steiger walked in the top of the ninth of Game 2 to reach base safely for the 24^th game in a row
Marro's 2 2/3 innings marked his longest outing of the season
Mogen tied his season high with four innings pitched