SDSU WINS WILD SERIES OPENER AGAINST BEARS

Friday, April 24

Brookings, S.D.

3 p.m.

South Dakota State University

14-24, 7-9

Northern Colorado

10-31, 8-10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Northern Colorado	0	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	6	7	2
South Dakota State	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	7	4	0

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia Sports Media

4/24/2026 8:11:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

South Dakota State scored three runs in the bottom of the 11^th inning to pull out a 7-6 victory over Northern Colorado in a Summit League baseball game full of twists and turns Friday afternoon at Erv Huether Field.

With the win the Jackrabbits improved to 14-24 overall and 7-9 in The Summit League. UNC dropped to 10-31 overall and 8-10 in league play.

The Jackrabbits' game-winning rally came after Northern Colorado scored twice in the top of the 11^th. Dayton Franke opened the SDSU half of the inning be being hit by a pitch on would have been ball four and was subsequently removed from the game for pinch-runner Luke Evenson. Keagen Jirschele followed with a bunt single to put the tying run on base, after which UNC made a call to its bullpen. Reliever Brady Hudson retired the first batter he faced before freshman Grant Sorensen, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the top of the 10^th inning, lined the first pitch he saw to the gap in right-center field to drive in both runners.

Nolan Grawe was intentionally walked and Luke Luskey was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Nate Wachter, who proceeded to watch four straight balls to force in the winning run.

UNC opened the 11^th with back-to-back singles by Logan Pruski and Jake Bullard, with Bullard also advancing into scoring position on the throw to third base. After an intentional walk to Wilson Kieffer loaded the bases, SDSU reliever Tristan Augedahl struck out the next two batters. With two outs and Augedahl holding the ball on the mound, Pruski broke for home and the throw to the plate was offline, allowing him to slide in ahead of the tag. Bullard later scored on a balk for a 6-4 Bear lead.

Friday's contest got off to a wild beginning as SDSU scored four times without registering a hit in the bottom of the first inning. UNC starter Reece Wagner didn't make it out of the initial inning after hitting each of the first three hitters with pitches to load the bases, then hit three more batters to force in runs while also walking one and allowing a run-scoring sacrifice fly for an early 4-0 Jackrabbit lead.

The Bears quickly responded with a three-run home run by Mason Griffin in the top of the second and tied the game on a solo home run by Brandon Sanchez in the fifth inning.

UNC reliever Ethan Louthan didn't allow a Jackrabbit hit until Wachter lined a solid single up the middle to lead off the bottom of the eighth. Louthan tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out four and walking four.

For SDSU, Ty Madison worked out of a jam upon entering the game with two on and nobody out in the sixth, and turned in his best outing of the season with 4 2/3 scoreless innings in which he allowed only one hit and struck out five.

The Jackrabbits put runners in scoring position in the eighth, ninth and 10^th innings, including a leadoff double by Luskey in the 10^th, but were unable to push a run across.

Jackrabbit starter Sam Schlecht allowed four runs on four hits over five innings. He struck out four and walked two. Augedahl added four strikeouts in picking up the win.

The Bears held a 7-4 advantage in hits and were led by Brandon Sanchez and Bullard each with two hits.

ON DECK
Game 2 of the three-game series is set for a 2 p.m. first pitch Saturday.

NOTES

SDSU leads the season series, 3-1
The Jackrabbits hold a 46-38 advantage in the all-time series
SDSU improved to 1-1 in extra-inning games this season, while UNC dropped to 4-3
The Jackrabbits upped their record in one-run games this season to 2-7
For the second game in a row, the Jackrabbits had eight batters hit by a pitch, tying the program's single-game mark in the Division I era (since 2005)
Luskey was hit by a pitch twice, upping his team-leading total to 15
Carter Taylor was hit by a pitch and walked to reach base safely for the 17^th consecutive game and 17^th time in the last six games he has played
Northern Colorado turned three double plays in the game