Derek Hackman's three-run, walk-off home run capped a six-run bottom of the ninth inning, lifting South Dakota State to a 9-8 victory and a sweep of a Summit League baseball doubleheader from Omaha Sunday afternoon at Erv Huether Field.
The Jackrabbits, who won the opener, 6-0, improved to 9-19 overall and 4-8 in league play in earning a split of the four-game weekend series. Omaha dropped to 12-16 overall and 7-5 in the Summit.
GAME 1: SDSU 6, OMAHA 0 Drew Beazley and Ryan Bourassa combined on a three-hit shutout for the Jackrabbits to end a nine-game losing streak.
SDSU got the bats going early, collecting seven of their 11 hits in the first two innings against Maverick starter Mark Timmins. In the opening inning, Landon Badger and Luke Ira notched back-to-back singles before Hackman followed two batters later with a base hit to center field that drove in Badger.
The Jackrabbits pushed their lead to 4-0 with a three-run second inning. Avery Mellman started the rally with a double to left-center field, while Jess Bellows and Badger notched back-to-back run-scoring doubles later in the frame for a 3-0 lead. Ira plated Badger with the final run of the inning with a single.
Mellman added a sacrifice fly in the third inning and Garrett Stout hit a solo home run in the fifth for the final Jackrabbit tally of the game.
Beazley worked the first four innings, limiting Omaha to two hits while striking out three and walking one. Bourassa, meanwhile, earned the save after tossing the final three innings. He allowed only one hit, walked three and struck out three.
Badger was 3-for-4, while Ira and Hackman each tallied two hits.
GAME 2: SDSU 9, OMAHA 8
This time, the Jackrabbits' bats came alive in the late innings as SDSU rallied for an improbable victory and split of the four-game series.
Trailing 8-3, the Jackrabbit rally began with a leadoff walk to Garrett Stout. Pinch-hitter Ryan McDonald followed with a single and Bellows drew a walk to load the bases. Badger was then hit by a pitch to force in Stout with the first run of the inning.
After Omaha turned to its third pitcher of the frame, Ira brought SDSU to within 8-5 with a sacrifice fly that plated pinch-runner Jamie Berg. Drew Beazley provided a harbinger of what was come to as he hit a wind-cutting double to the fence in left-center to drive in Badger and put the tying run in scoring position.
Hackman, who had fared well against Omaha pitching all season, turned on a pitch from Easton Smith and launched it over the right-field fence for the game-winning three-run shot, which was his fourth home run of the season.
The Jackrabbits led 2-1 through five innings, scoring twice in the fourth inning on a wild pitch and an error.
SDSU's final rally came after Omaha regained the lead with a five-run top of the sixth that included two-run home runs by Keil Krumwiede and Grant Goldston. Krumwiede was 4-for-5 to lead the Mavericks' 14-hit attack.
After Carson Max doubled in a run in the bottom of the eighth to pull SDSU to within 6-3, the Mavericks used a Jackrabbit misplay in the outfield to score twice. Parker Smejkal was credited with an RBI double and later scored on a groundout.
For SDSU, Bellows was 3-for-3 and Ira doubled twice to pace the Jackrabbits' 10-hit effort.
Owen Bishop worked the first four innings for the Jackrabbits, striking out two and walking one. Tyler Olmstead, the last of five SDSU pitchers in the game, was credited with the win after pitching the ninth inning.
UP NEXT
South Dakota State continues its homestand by hosting Western Illinois in a four-game series April 16-18 at Erv Huether Field. The series begins with a doubleheader Friday, starting at noon.
NOTES
Omaha claimed the regular season series, 5-3, and leads the all-time series, 91-83-1
The Jackrabbits won on a walk-off home run for the first time since Tony Kjolsing accomplished the feat on May 4, 2018, in a 5-4, 10-inning victory versus Omaha
Three of Hackman's home runs this season have come against Omaha
Ira finished the four-game series 7-for-13 (.538 avg.) with three doubles and three runs batted in
Ira and Hackman share the team lead with eight multi-hit games and Hackman's game-winning home run gave him his team-best fifth multi-RBI game of the season
Bellows has reached base safely in eight consecutive games