SDSU rallies for 9-7 win over Falcons

Saturday, March 7

USAF Academy, Colo.

1 p.m. MT/2 p.m. CT

South Dakota State University

Air Force

Photo by: SDSU Sports Information

3/7/2020 7:05:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – South Dakota State scored in five consecutive innings to rally for a 9-7 victory over Air Force in the second game of a three-game weekend baseball series Saturday afternoon at Falcon Field.

The Jackrabbits improved to 4-10 overall, while Air Force dropped to 4-12 on the season.

SDSU trailed 3-0 before cracking the scoring column in the fourth inning, when Gus Steiger led off the frame with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Josh Falk.

After Matt Krambeck doubled in Luke Ira in the fifth, the Jackrabbits gained an 8-7 lead with back-to-back three-run frames in the sixth and seventh innings. Drew Beazley continued his hot hitting with a double to left that scored Braeden Brown, who also doubled. Beazley scored on a base hit by Ryan McDonald and Ira followed with a run-scoring triple to center field.

The seventh-inning outburst was aided by an Air Force error, which led to all three runs being unearned. Both Colton Cox and Steiger scored when Brown reached on an errant throw and Brown scored the go-ahead run on Beazley's second run-scoring hit of the day.

McDonald added a solo home run to center field to lead off the eighth for the final run of the game.

SDSU pitchers Eli Sundquist, Nate Steenblock and Bret Barnett combined to limit Air Force to two runs on three hits over the final 4 1/3 innings in relief of starter Rick Atkins. Sundquist picked up his second win of the week despite allowing a two-run homer to Cole Blatchford in the bottom of the sixth that broke a 5-all tie.

Steenblock followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, while Barnett recorded the final four outs for his second save of the season.

The Jackrabbits finished with a 13-9 advantage in hits as Steiger and Beazley each tallied three hits. McDonald and Ira added two hits apiece.

Blatchford was 4-for-5 and drove in four runs to lead Air Force.

UP NEXT
The two teams are scheduled to play the decisive game of their three-game series at noon Mountain Time (1 p.m. Central) on Sunday.

NOTES

SDSU ended a four-game losing streak in the series as Air Force holds a 12-7 edge in the all-time series
Of the Jackrabbits' 13 hits, seven went for extra bases – four doubles, two triples and a home run
McDonald became the ninth Jackrabbit to hit a home run this season
McDonald leads the team by hitting .375 so far this season with runners in scoring position en route to a team-high 10 runs batted in
Falk and Beazley each extended their hitting streaks to seven games
Ira upped his hitting streak to five games
Of Krambeck's seven hits this season, five have been of the extra-base variety (three doubles, two home runs)