South Dakota State baseball, following a two-game sweep by Oklahoma State University, rebounded in its series against North Dakota State University, ending a long skid.
OKLAHOMA STATE
SDSU jumped ahead in the first game on Tuesday, March 17, with a Luke Luskey homer in the third inning. The Cowboys responded with two runs in the fourth. An SDSU surge in the fifth put the Jacks back in front with a three-run lead, but OSU scored five unanswered runs in the sixth. SDSU could only muster one run in the ninth, losing game one 7-6.
Game two on Wednesday, March 18, brought more scoring opportunities. SDSU scored five runs to open the game before an error gave OSU a run in the fifth inning. This started a 10-run scoring rally by the Cowboys. SDSU’s Mason Lang homered in the seventh inning to cut the deficit to four runs, but OSU would score again in the eighth. SDSU rallied to tie the game in the ninth off a wild pitch with Keagan Jirschele scoring.
A full count, walk-off home run by Campbell Smithwick ended the Jacks’ hopes of snapping their losing streak as they lost 12-11.
Eight Jackrabbit pitchers were sent to the mound. Jaren Vogt started for two innings, allowing three walks and two hits. Jacob Sjuts pitched for two and one-third innings with one hit and one run allowed. SDSU pitchers struck out seven batters.=
NORTH DAKOTA STATE
The Jacks’ home opener at Erv Huether Field on Friday saw the visitors dominate.
A two-run home run by Colten Becker opened the Bison scoring. SDSU did not score until the fourth inning with a Nolan Grawe RBI single. Two more Bison home runs in the sixth and eighth innings extended the lead to four, followed by an RBI double. NDSU took the first game of the series 6-1.
The first game in Saturday’s doubleheader ended a nine-game losing streak for the Jackrabbits. NDSU opened the scoring in the first inning with a sacrifice fly before a pair of RBI singles gave SDSU the lead in the second. A two-run inside-the-park homer returned the lead to the Bison in the third. After this homer, the Jacks scored eight unanswered. The Bison scored on a pair of RBIs in the sixth, but a three-run home run by Luskey put the game away and the Jacks won 13-5 in eight innings.
Sam Schlecht started with four and one-third innings pitched, allowing eight hits and three runs. Logan Campbell gave up the last hit and two runs of the game while Augedahl capped an 11-strikeout performance by Jackrabbit pitchers.
The Jacks move to 7-17 on the season with a 2-4 Summit League record.
“Great weather, great crowds, and having one of your rivals in town, it was just great for us to get to sleep in our own bed,” head coach Ron Bishop said of the NDSU series. “[It was] the cherry on top getting to play in such good conditions.”
CREIGHTON
SDSU hits the road to play Creighton University in Omaha. The Bluejays are 9-11 this season and are coming off a three-game sweep by the University of Miami Hurricanes.
Ben North leads the Bluejays in several statistics, including batting average, hitting .395 with 30 hits on 76 at-bats. He has the team’s best slugging percentage, on-base percentage, most hits, most runs batted in, and stolen bases. At the mound, Jack Pineau leads the team in strikeouts with 34 on the year, having an earned run average of 4.45 with 15 runs and 29 hits allowed in 117 at-bats.
First pitch is tonight at 6 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
NORTHERN COLORADO
The Jacks will then head to Greeley, Colorado, to face the University of Northern Colorado. The Bears are 5-21 this season, winning their last game against Omaha on Sunday, 8-7 in 10 innings.
Logan Pruski leads the Bears in batting average, hitting .343 with 34 hits on 99 at-bats. Pruski leads the team in runs batted in with 18. On the mound, Jake Storey has the most strikeouts with 30 on an earned run average of 6.75, giving up 30 runs on 132 at-bats.
First pitch of the three-game series is Friday at 3 p.m. Game two is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m., and game three on Sunday at 2 p.m. All games will be streamed on the Summit League Network through Midco Sports Plus.
