JACKS HOLD OFF NMSU TO EARN SERIES SPLIT

Monday, February 19

Las Cruces, N.M.

4 p.m. MT/5 p.m. CT

South Dakota State University

2-2

New Mexico State

2-2

South Dakota State

NM State

Photo by: Zachary Lucy

2/19/2024 9:42:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — South Dakota State took the lead for good with two runs in the bottom of the eighth and held off New Mexico State, 11-10, Monday at Presley Askew Field to earn a split of the squads' season-opening four-game baseball series.

The Jackrabbits never trailed in the contest, although NMSU tied the game on four different occasions. With the game tied at 8-all entering the top of the eighth, Luke Luskey started the two-run rally with a one-out walk. Reigning Summit League Peak Player of the Week Dawson Parry followed by drawing the fourth of his single-game school-record five walks, and Cael Frost came through with a single up the middle to bring home pinch runner Cohen Henry.

Parry would score the second run of the inning moments later on an RBI groundout by Cade Stuff.

After the Aggies scored on a sacrifice fly in the home half of the eighth to cut the deficit to 10-9, SDSU added a much-needed insurance run in the top of the ninth as Thatcher Kozal doubled with one out and came around to score on a single by Jordan Sagedahl, who had entered the game the previous inning as a defensive replacement.

Once again, New Mexico State put together a rally in its last at-bat, scoring an unearned run after a leadoff single by Keith Jones II. However, SDSU pitcher Dylan Driessen prevented further damage to finish off his 4 1/3 innings of relief with a flyout to right.

Driessen, who tied for the team lead in victories last season with five, picked up the win after allowing three runs — one earned — on three hits. The right-hander from Omaha struck out five and walked seven.

The Jackrabbits grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Bryce Ronken singled and later scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of Adam Benes.

SDSU hung five runs on the board in its trip to the plate in the second inning to take a 6-1 lead. Davis Carr accounted for the first three runs with his second home run of the series and Cael Frost added a two-run double later in the frame.

NMSU would come back to tie the game at 6-all with a three-run second inning, followed by a two-run fourth against Jackrabbit starter Jack Kruger. Nick Gore hit a two-run home run for the Aggies in the second inning, while Preston Godfrey notched a two-run double in the fourth.

The Jackrabbits would regain momentary one-run leads in the fifth and sixth innings. Jess Bellows continued his hot start to the season with a single to plate the fifth-inning run. Parry doubled home Ronken with the sixth-inning run in his only official at-bat of the game.

Kruger surrendered seven runs on 11 hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out one.

The Aggies held a 14-12 advantage in hits, with the top two hitters in their lineup, Jones and Damone Hale each collecting three hits. For SDSU, all nine starters tallied a hit with Frost leading the way by going 3-for-5.

Seven different pitchers saw mound duty for New Mexico State.

UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits move to play a four-game series Thursday through Saturday at the University of New Mexico. First pitch for Thursday's series opener at Santa Ana Star Field in Albuquerque is set for 2 p.m. Mountain Time (3 p.m. Central).

NOTES

The all-time series between South Dakota State and New Mexico State is also tied at two games apiece
Kozal, Parry and Ronken each scored two runs
Prior to Parry's record-setting five walks, the Jackrabbit single-game standard in the Division I era (since 2005) was four by four different players, including Ryan McDonald in a 2023 game at Western Illinois
Parry raised his season on-base percentage to .750
Bellows extended his hitting streak to 13 games dating back to last season and has reached base safely in 23 consecutive games
The Jackrabbits finished the series with eight home runs

-GoJacks.com-