FAYETTE, Iowa – Upper Iowa rallied with three runs in the bottom of the ninth to earn a 10-9 victory in game two and earn a doubleheader sweep over Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference baseball on Wednesday at Robertson Woods Field. The Peacocks on the opener by a score of 9-3.

SMSU held a 9-6 lead in the eighth inning in the nightcap before UIU scored one in the eighth and then took advantage of an SMSU error, a walk and a hit by pitch, to score three in the ninth to earn the victory. It was another tough loss for SMSU, which drops to 3-9 in one-run games this season.

The Mustangs fall to 11-21 overall, 6-16 in the NSIC, while UIU pushes its record to 14-17 overall, 12-13 NSIC.

In the opener, Upper Iowa scored early and often, pushing across four runs in both the first and second innings to build a big lead.

Trailing 9-0 in the fourth, SMSU got on the board as Ben Heichel doubled and later scored on an RBI single by Matt Bezdicek.

SMSU added two more runs in the fifth on an RBI ground out by Shane Sellner and an RBI single by Heichel.

Chase Meyer (3-2) suffered the loss for SMSU on the mound, lasting 1 2/3 innings and allowing eight runs on nine hits with two walks. Brandon Woznak pitched a solid 3 1/3 innings of relief and gave up one run on three hits, while Michael Revening pitched a scoreless inning.

Nathan Kuhn and Heichel each collected two of SMSU’s eight hits in the game.

In game two, UIU build a 3-0 lead after two innings before SMSU cut into the deficit with a two-run third inning behind RBI singles by Sellner and Fleck.

UIU added to the lead with a run in the third and two more in the fourth to push the margin to 6-2 before SMSU mounted a comeback attempt in the fifth. Kuhn started the frame with a single and moved to third on a double by Heichel. Sellner and Jake Hendricks then each hit sac flies to push the deficit to 6-4.

SMSU made it 6-5 in the sixth as Brady Lanoue hit a two-out single and then came around to score at Tanner Strommen hit a single to center field that was misplayed by the fielder to allow Lanoue to race all around to score.

SMSU took its first lead of the game in the seventh as Connor Johnson cracked a two-run double to give and while Johnson was in a run-down on the play, Fleck scored under the tag to make the score 8-6.

The Mustangs made the score 9-6 in the eighth as Lanoue singled to start the frame and later scored on a two-out single by Sellner.

UIU scored on a wild pitch in eighth inning off of SMSU relief pitcher Alex Jorgensen to cut the lead to 9-7 heading into the ninth and setting up the rally.

With a runner on third and two outs, UIU was down to its final strike, before UIU lead-off man Callahan Seehase worked a walk to put runners on the corners. An RBI single cut the lead to 9-8, before a fielding error loaded the bases to keep the rally alive. Jorgensen then hit UIU’s Zackary Cain with a pitch to tie the game before Tony Salato hit the game-winning single to right to complete the comeback.

Jorgensen (2-3) pitched the final 2 1/3 innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Teo Rangel started on the mound for SMSU and lasted 3 1/3 innings and allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits with a pair of strikeouts. Josh Cook pitched well in middle relief to keep the game close, tossing three shutout innings and allowing four hits.

SMSU finished the game with 13 hits as Sellner led the way going 2 for 4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Lanoue, Heichel and Spencer Rudnik also all finished with two hits each.

Southwest Minnesota State plays its final road games of the season this weekend with a four-game series on Saturday and Sunday at Minnesota Crookston.

Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications