Jackrabbits knock off Gophers, 10-8

Wednesday, March 4

Minneapolis, Minn. [U.S. Bank Stadium]

6 p.m.

South Dakota State University

3-9

Minnesota

5-8

South Dakota State

Minnesota

Photo by: SDSU Sports Information

3/4/2020 10:30:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS – South Dakota State took the lead for good with a three-run seventh inning and added three more runs in the ninth en route to defeating Minnesota, 10-8, in nonconference baseball action Wednesday night at U.S. Bank Stadium.

In starting a stretch of nine games in 12 days, the Jackrabbits improved to 3-9 overall. Minnesota dropped to 5-8.

The Jackrabbits' seventh-inning rally came after Minnesota had taken a 5-4 lead with a four-run bottom of the sixth. The first two SDSU batters of the inning reached on free passes as Derek Hackman walked and Colton Cox was hit by a pitch. After the next two batters were retired, Gus Steiger was intentionally walked to load the bases. Ryan McDonald drew a walk to force in the tying run and Josh Falk delivered the go-ahead hit with a single through the right side that plated both Cox and Steiger.

In the three-run ninth, Falk was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in a run before Luke Ira dropped down a squeeze bunt with Steiger scoring on the play. The final Jackrabbit run scored on a wild pitch.

Minnesota cut the deficit in half on a two-run single by Drew Hmielewski in the bottom of the ninth, but Brett Mogen closed out a three-inning save on a groundout to shortstop. The senior right-hander from Dell Rapids struck out five and walked one in recording his first save of the season.

The Golden Gophers scored the first run of the game on an RBI double by Sam Ireland, who paced Minnesota's 12-hit attack by going 3-for-4.

SDSU grabbed its first lead of the night in the top of the third on a two-run home run by Matt Krambeck. It was Krambeck's second homer of the season.

The Jackrabbits built their lead to 4-1 in the top of the sixth on RBI singles by Steiger and Drew Beazley. Steiger was the lone Jackrabbit with more than one hit as he went 2-for-4 and scored three times.
SDSU ended the night with seven hits.

Minnesota regained the lead with four runs on five hits in the home half of the sixth. Jack Kelly and Max Meyer delivered run-scoring singles before Andrew Wilhite drove in two runs with a single up the middle.
Freshman right-hander Eli Sundquist picked up the win. Nate Steenblock, the third of six Jackrabbit pitchers on the night, tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings, recording a pair of strikeouts.

UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits open a three-game weekend series Friday afternoon at Air Force. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. Mountain Time (3 p.m. Central) at Falcon Field.

NOTES

Minnesota leads the all-time series, 37-13
The Jackrabbits ended a seven-game losing streak in the series, winning for the first time since a 7-6, 10-inning victory at Erv Huether Field during the 2016 season
SDSU hit a home run for the fifth consecutive game
Falk extended his hitting streak to six games and has eight runs batted in over the last five contests
Falk leads the team with three multi-RBI games
Beazley has reached base safely in eight consecutive games
Bret Barnett made his first career start and worked one scoreless inning
Jackrabbit pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts, marking the sixth time this season and fifth time in the last six games SDSU recorded double figures for K's
McDonald tied a team high this season by walking three times
Steiger's three runs scored are the most by a Jackrabbit in 2020