McDONALD HOMERS TWICE, BUT JACKS DROP OPENER

Friday, March 10

Bowling Green, Ky.

3 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Western Kentucky

Photo by: Bill Powell

3/10/2023 8:24:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — South Dakota State hit a season-high four home runs, but the Jackrabbits ended up on the short end as they dropped an 11-6 decision to Western Kentucky Friday to open a three-game nonconference baseball series at Nick Denes Field.

WKU improved to 11-4 overall, while the Jackrabbits dropped to 3-6 on the season.

Ryan McDonald got SDSU off to a quick start by hitting the first pitch of the game for a home run to left field, setting the stage for personal-best day for the Jackrabbit catcher.

The Hilltoppers' Ty Crittenberger answered with a leadoff home run of his own in the bottom of the first inning and WKU added another run later in the frame on a run-scoring single by Kirk Liebert.

After two Jackrabbit errors led to an unearned run in the second inning, WKU broke open the game with a four-run home half of the third that began with back-to-back doubles by Tristin Garcia and Drew Reckert off SDSU starter Dylan Richey, and also featured RBI singles by Ricardo Leonett, Lukas Farris and Crittenberger.

Seven of the Hilltoppers' 16 hits on the afternoon were doubles. Crittenberger was 4-for-6 with three runs batted in as he finished a triple away from the cycle.

SDSU trimmed the deficit to 7-3 with a pair of runs in the fifth inning. Adam Benes led off the frame with his second home run of the season and McDonald crossed home plate on an RBI groundout off the bat of Cade Stuff after singling and stealing both second and third base.

WKU responded with a run in the fifth and tacked on three more in the sixth inning, with the last two of which scored on Farris' first home run of the season.

McDonald, who ended the day 5-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored, connected on a two-run home run in the seventh inning and Luke Ira added a solo shot in the eighth. Ira and Benes each tallied two of SDSU's 11 hits.

Hilltopper starter Mason Burns worked the first five innings and was credited with the win after striking out six and walking none en route to his second victory of the season. Beau Coffman added five strikeouts over the final four innings to pick up the save.

Richey, a Rapid City native who was making his first start as a Jackrabbit, surrendered five earned runs and seven hits over 2 1/3 innings in being saddled with the loss. Jordan Sagedahl tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings to finish the game for SDSU.

UP NEXT
The middle game of the three-game series is set for 2 p.m. Saturday.

NOTES

Friday's game marked the first-ever meeting between SDSU and Western Kentucky in baseball
McDonald upped his season home run total to a team-best six and also leads active Jackrabbits with 24 career round-trippers
The Jackrabbits have homered in all nine games this season and 35 of 37 games since midway through the 2022 campaign
McDonald has reached base safely in 42 consecutive games dating back to last season and has homered in four of the last five games
McDonald raised his season batting average to .486 and his slugging percentage to 1.114
Derek Hackman was the last Jackrabbit with a two-home run game (May 15, 2022, versus St. Thomas) and also was the last SDSU player with a five-hit game (April 24, 2021, versus North Dakota State)
Dawson Parry doubled in the first inning as he has now hit safely in all nine games this season and 11 in a row dating back to 2022
Sagedahl's pitching appearance was the third of his career
SDSU has scored first in eight of nine games this season, but holds a 2-6 record in those games
The Jackrabbits were charged with a season-high four errors