John Andrews

The South Dakota State University baseball team evened its overall record to 10-10 and 3-1 in North Central Conference play by winning three out of four games played last weekend.

The Jacks split a doubleheader against Morningside on Sunday. SDSU scored in five out of seven innings to win the first game 8-7. Kerry Jacobson doubled and hit a home run while Chris Studer homered and had three RBI’s to lead the Jacks to a comfortable 8-3 lead going in to the final inning. Morningside came back with four runs in the top of the seventh before Ryan Sauter closed the door on them.

In the second game, Morningside hurler Jesus Pena tossed a one-hitter to lead his team past SDSU 6-0. The Mustangs scored two in the top of the first and four more in the fifth. Pena did the rest. Chris Studer singled to tally SDSU’s only hit against him.

Pitching was the story in SDSU’s doubleheader sweep over the University of South Dakota at Bob Shelden Field last Friday.

In the first game, an extra-inning affair, State’s Tom Mousel pitched all nine innings to collect the 1-0 victory. He ended up with 10 strikeouts, two walks and gave up just seven base hits.

Good defense kept State in the game in the top of the ninth inning. Mousel gave up a double, a walk and a single to load the bases with only one out. USD’s Derek Huxford then lined a shot to the right side of the infield, where Greg Geary was waiting. He dove to stop the ball, then threw home to force the runner out. Mousel then ended the inning with a strikeout.

In the bottom of the ninth, Ryan Sauter reached first base on a passed ball strikeout with two outs. Brock Schroeder drew a walk advancing Sauter to second. Matt Hanson drove Sauter in with a smash to the left field wall.

USD pitcher John Brunswold had eight strikeouts, two walks and gave up four hits.

In the second game, Collin Cantalope gave up four hits and no walks in six innings, and Ryan Sauter pitched the seventh to guide SDSU to a 3-2 victory.

An RBI single by Rob Heisel gave USD a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. But the Jacks came back with two in the bottom of the inning with run scoring hits by Greg Geary and Sauter. Kerry Jacobson drove in one more run in the fifth inning.

USD’s Dustin Moore hit a solo home run in the sixth inning.

SDSU’s doubleheader against National American University scheduled for April 3 was canceled.

The last weekend in March also proved successful for the Jacks as they took three out of four games from Southwest State University.

On Saturday, playing in Sioux City, Ia., SDSU took both games from SSU. In the first game, SDSU scored three runs in the first inning on RBI hits by Kerry Jacobson and Greg Geary and a run scoring ground out by Ryan Hansen. State tacked on single runs in the fourth and fifth innings and two more in the seventh to earn a 7-4 win. Cory Gilbert got the win on the mound and Ryan Sauter earned the save.

In the second game, SDSU scored three runs in an inning again, this time in the third. Runs in the fifth and sixth innings preserved a 5-2 win for the Jacks. Collin Cantalope got the win and Sauter got his second save of the afternoon.

On Friday, the two teams split a doubleheader played at Riverside Park in Yankton. SSU took the first game 7-5, and SDSU won the second game 12-0.

In the first game, SSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, led by Travis Irwin’s three-run home run. A two-run home run by Ryan Hansen in the sixth made the score 7-5, where it stayed. SSU pitcher Marc Craigmile allowed only five Jackrabbit hits.

In the second game, SDSU broke open a 1-0 game in the bottom of the fourth inning by plating six runs. That frame featured home runs by Ryan Sauter, Kerry Jacobson and Chris Studer. Studer then added a three-run home run in the fifth inning.

Rob Hirrschoff went the distance for SDSU, allowing only three hits while collecting 10 strikeouts.