SDSU TAKES SERIES OPENER AT ST. THOMAS, 5-3

Saturday, April 2

St. Paul, Minn.

2:30 p.m.

South Dakota State University

7-15, 1-3

St. Thomas

4-15, 1-3

Jackrabbits

St. Thomas

Photo by: Erik Williams

4/2/2022 7:26:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Nic McCay pitched 6 1/3 solid innings and South Dakota State received two-RBI performances at the plate from Derek Hackman and Owen Bishop as the Jackrabbits opened a three-game Summit League baseball series against St. Thomas with a 5-3 victory Saturday afternoon at Koch Diamond.

SDSU improved to 7-15 overall, while St. Thomas dropped to 4-15 on the season. Both teams moved to 1-3 in league play.

The Jackrabbits raced out to a 3-0 first-inning lead. Luke Ira singled with one out and moved into scoring position on a stolen base and wild pitch before tallying the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Hackman.

Two batters later, Owen Bishop connected on his first collegiate home run, a two-run shot that also plated Ryan McDonald.

A pair of Jackrabbit errors in the bottom of the third inning opened the door for UST to tie the game at 3-all. Charlie Bartholomew and Sam Kulesa notched run-scoring singles, with the tying run scoring on a groundout.

SDSU regained the lead with a two-run top of the fifth. Reece Anderson led off with a single, stole second and scored on Nic Nelson's pinch-hit single. Nelson later scored on Hackman's second sacrifice fly of the game.

McCay struck out seven and walked only one in his longest outing of the season. The right-hander did not allow an earned run and scattered five hits in earning his first win of the year.

Ryan Bourassa closed out the Jackrabbit victory with 2 2/3 shutout innings for his second save of the season. Bourassa continued his recent dominance on the mound with five strikeouts.

Hits were even at five apiece, with no player from either team collecting more than one.

UP NEXT
The series concludes Sunday with a doubleheader. Start time has been moved up a half-hour to 10:30 a.m.

NOTES

Saturday's game marked the first-ever meeting in baseball between South Dakota State and St. Thomas
SDSU improved to 2-5 in series openers
Hackman became the first Jackrabbit player with two sacrifice flies in the same game since Cody Sharrow accomplished the feat on April 3, 2016, against Fort Wayne
Hackman turned in his team-leading fifth multi-RBI game of the season
McCay, who missed the entire 2020 and 2021 seasons due to injury, recorded his first win since a May 17, 2019, victory at North Dakota State
McDonald reached base safely for the 11^th consecutive game
Anderson improved to 7-for-7 in stolen bases this season as the Jackrabbits tied a team season high with three steals
Bourassa has notched 17 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings over his last two appearances