Photo courtesy of WSC Sports Information SMSU’s Jayden Fleck prepares to swing during their game against Wayne State College on Wednesday. The Mustangs fell to the Wildcats 5-4 and 4-3.

WAYNE, Neb. – Wayne State held off a pair of late Southwest Minnesota State rally attempts to earn a doubleheader sweep in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference baseball on Wednesday at Pete Chapman Complex. WSC won game one 5-4, scoring a run in the bottom of the seventh and then held on for a 4-3 victory in game two.

SMSU, which has now lost four straight, drops to 9-15 overall, 4-10 in NSIC play. It was two more tough-luck losses for the Mustangs, who drop to 2-8 in one-run games this season.

WSC improves to 11-17 overall, 9-9 NSIC, with the two victories.

In game one, SMSU rallied with a four-run seventh inning to tie the game, but WSC scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh to record the 5-4 victory.

Trailing 4-0 and held to two hits through six innings, SMSU used four hits and a WSC error to tie the game in the seventh. Ben Heichel, Shane Sellner and Jayden Fleck started the rally with three straight singles to push across SMSU’s first run. With one out, Connor Johnson walked to load the bases and put the tying run on base. Following a strikeout for the second out of the inning, Brady Lanoue reached on a throwing error by the Wildcat shortstop to plate a run and keep the rally alive. Tanner Strommen then stepped to the lead and delivered a two-run single to tie the game at 4-4. Strommen moments later moved to second base on a wild pitch, but a foul out ended the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, WSC used a lead-off walk, a sac bunt and a fielder’s choice to load the bases with one out. Alex Jorgensen, the third SMSU pitcher of the game, uncorked a wild pitch to score the game-winning run and hand SMSU its seventh one-run defeat this season.

Josh Cook (1-1) pitched two innings of relief for the Mustangs and suffered the loss. John Bezdicek started on the mound and last 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits with four strikeouts, two walks and four wild pitches.

WSC’s Aidan Breedlove pitched the first 6 2/3 innings and allowed just one earned run on six hits with nine strikeouts.

Both teams finished with six hits in game one.

In game two, WSC built a 4-0 lead after four innings before Fleck hit his team-leading fifth home run of the season in the fifth inning to cut the deficit to 4-1.

The score remained that way until the ninth when once again SMSU took advantage of a WSC error to mount a comeback. Derek Smith started the inning with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch before eventually scoring on a throwing error following a single by Nathan Kuhn. Heichel hit an infield single to score Kuhn and make the score 4-3, but a pair of strikeouts and a fly out ended the game.

WSC’s Hunter Wienhoff fired the complete game victory allowing just six hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks.

SMSU starter Justin Clark (1-3) allowed four runs on five hits in four innings with three strikeouts and two walks. Chase Meyer was solid in relief, firing four shutout innings and allowing just one hit.

Kuhn led the SMSU offense with a pair of hits and a run scored.

Southwest Minnesota State is scheduled to play a four-game series at the University of Mary this Saturday and Sunday.

Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

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