The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team earned a split with Northern State University with an unorthodox walk-off on Tuesday in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action.
With a full count and the bases loaded with two outs, the Mustangs' Doug Mead drew the walk, allowing Tanner Neale to score, giving SMSU the 10-9 win. Earlier in the day the Mustangs fell to the Wolves 3-1.
"It was really kind of an ugly game on our part," said SMSU head coach Paul Blanchard. "You shouldn't expect to win a game when you commit five errors.
"Fortunately enough, late in the game when we scored some runs, they committed some errors, too."
In the second game, Northern State (13-20 overall, 6-12 NSIC) scored first and held two leads, 1-0 and 3-1 before SMSU (20-13, 10-8 NSIC) broke the game open with two runs in the fifth and five in the sixth.
The Wolves cut back into the Mustang lead, scoring three in the seventh and three in the ninth to tie the game at 9.
"We had the lead and blew the lead," Blanchard said. "They hit the ball hard a few times and when we had the chance to make a play we didn't and gave them another out."
After Mark Hanson singled to lead off the SMSU half of the ninth, Ben Korger hit into a double play to leave the Mustangs with their final out.
"(Korger) did exactly what he was supposed to do," Blanchard said. "He showed bunt and pulled back and slashed at it like he was supposed to and he hit it to the one guy (that could make the play)."
Neale kept the game alive by reaching on an error and Brian Ness singled to reach base. Adam Thygesen followed with another single to load the bases, bringing Mead to the plate.
Mead worked the count to 3-2 and brought in the winning run with his patient eye.
In Game 1, the Mustangs played a solid game, striking out twice with their pitcher giving up only six hits, but fell to Northern 3-1.
The Mustangs will play host to Wayne State College this weekend for a pair of doubleheaders.
Game 1
NSU 000 030 0 - 3 6 0
SMSU 000 000 1 - 1 4 2
N-Nathan Nietfeld, Clayton Nutting (7), Clint Manzo (7). S-Alex Alvarez. WP-Nietfeld. LP-Alvarez. 2B: S-Adam Thygesen.
Game 2
NSU 100 020 303 - 9 13 3
SMSU 000 125 101 - 10 12 5
N-Clint Manzo, Trent Bestland (6), Kris Keating (6), Jordan Wakefield (6). S-Bryce Rippentrop, Brandan Alfson (6), Dylan Shoemaker (8), Derek Skovbroten (9). WP-Skovbroten. LP-Wakefield. 2B: N-Zach Miller, Max Meyers; S-Jordon Kontz, Adam Thygesen.