PARRY POWERS JACKS PAST ST. THOMAS

Saturday, May 14

Brookings, S.D.

1 p.m.

South Dakota State University

19-19, 10-7

St. Thomas

13-27, 7-12

St. Thomas

South Dakota State

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia

5/14/2022 8:22:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Dawson Parry hit a pair of three-run home runs and Nic McCay pitched into the eighth inning to push South Dakota State past St. Thomas, 11-4, in the opening game of a Summit League baseball series Saturday afternoon at Erv Huether Field.

With the win, the Jackrabbits reached the .500 mark for the first time this season, improving to 19-19 overall and 10-7 in league play. Coupled with a loss by Northern Colorado, SDSU has secured a spot in the four-team Summit League Baseball Championship later this month in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

St. Thomas, 13-27 overall and 7-12 in The Summit League, struck first as Ben Vujovich homered on the third pitch of the game from McCay for an early 1-0 lead.

After squandering scoring opportunities in the first two innings, Parry put the Jackrabbits in the lead for good with a majestic three-run blast to left off Tommies starter Graham Laubscher in the bottom of the fifth inning after back-to-back singles by Jordan Sagedahl and Henry George to open the frame.

SDSU would go on to score multiple runs again in each of the next three innings, putting two runs on the board in the sixth inning on a two-run single by Henry George and three runs in both the seventh and eighth innings. The seventh-inning runs came against the UST bullpen and all with two outs. Luke Ira started the rally with a single to left and scored on Drew Beazley's double to left-center. Nic Nelson followed with a two-run homer to left-center to give the Jackrabbits an 8-1 lead.

McCay, who struck out six and walked three, gave up a two-run homer to Sam Kulesa before exiting in the eighth. The Tommies scored another run on a sacrifice fly to draw to within 8-4, but Parry ended any hopes of a comeback with his second three-run shot of the game – an opposite-field liner to right field — in the home half of the eighth.

Ryan Bourassa recorded the final five outs for his fifth save of the season.

George paced the Jackrabbits' 12-hit attack by going 3-for-4 at the plate. Parry, Ira, Beazley and Nelson all contributed two hits.

Vujovich and Max Moris each tallied two of the Tommies' seven hits.

UP NEXT
The series concludes Sunday with a doubleheader starting at noon.

NOTES

SDSU has won all four matchups with St. Thomas this season
Parry became the first Jackrabbit with multiple home runs in a game since Landon Badger hit three in the first game of a doubleheader against North Dakota State on April 24, 2021
The Jackrabbits have homered in 20 of their last 21 games
Parry took over the team lead in runs batted in with 35
Beazley extended his hitting streak to 13 games
Ryan McDonald walked and was hit by a pitch to reach base safely for the 26^th consecutive game
Nelson's home run was his second of the season and first since March 5 at Central Arkansas
SDSU improved to 5-2 in the first game of their Summit League series this season