Photo by Sam Thiel SMSU’s Max Kalenberg prepares a throw to first base during their doubleheader against Minnesota Crookston on Saturday. SMSU won Game 1 7-2 and fell 12-2 in eight innings in Game 2 on Saturday and defeated Minnesota Crookston 10-9 on Sunday.

MARSHALL — Isaac Nett drilled a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to lift Southwest Minnesota State to a dramatic 10-9 victory over Minnesota Crookston in NSIC college baseball on Sunday at Legion Field.

The win for the Mustang gives them the series victory over the Golden Eagles after the teams split a doubleheader on Saturday.

The homer was the second of the game for Nett, who helped the Mustangs get the win after blowing leads of 7-0 and 9-3. Nett hit the game-winning homer off of UMC ace pitcher Jake Dykhoff, who was making just his second relief appearance of the season.

SMSU had plenty of chances to put the game away but stranded 14 runners on base to keep UMC in the game. UMC (15-23, 7-12 NSIC) scored five runs in the seventh and one in the ninth to rally and tie the game at 9-9. UMC had the go-ahead run at third with one out in the ninth but a ground out and strikeout kept the game tied.

SMSU out-hit UMC 14-11 with Nett finishing 3 for 4 with three RBIs and three runs scored, while Robbie Smith tied a career-high with three hits and scored a pair of runs. Jaxon Haase and Chase McDaniel both added a pair of hits to help the SMSU attack.

SMSU (10-24, 3-19 NSIC) got off to a great start in the bottom of the first scoring five runs. Smith started the rally reaching via a two-base fielding error. After Keenan Wenzel hit an infield single, Nett hammered an RBI double to score the first run. Haase followed with an infield single to plate Wenzel and make the score 2-0. With one out, Owen Latendresse would get hit by a pitch to load the bases and moments later McDaniel slashed a 2-run double to left field and give SMSU a 4-0 advantage. The final run of the frame came across on a sac fly by Peyton Nash.

The Mustangs added to the lead in the fourth as Nett launched his fifth home run of the season to start the frame. SMSU pushed across another run later in the inning as Haase raced home to beat the throw at the plate as Nick Brown was caught in a rundown between second and third.

UMC countered with four hits to score three runs in the fifth to trim the deficit to 7-3, but SMSU answered in the home half.

Smith led-off the bottom of the fifth with an infield single and with two outs, Haase and Brown both walked to load the bases. Moments later Latendresse came through with a clutch 2-run single to push the lead to 9-3 after five.

The Golden Eagles put together a big inning in the seventh to pull to within one. The frame started with two walks, while the first run would score on a wild pitch. UMC would later add a 2-run double and a 2-run home run to cut the SMSU lead to 9-8.

Craig Lasley pitched a scoreless eighth inning to keep SMSU in the lead but UMC worked a one-out walk in the ninth to summon Kolby Kiser into the game for the Mustangs. After a single put runners on first and second, a pair of wild pitches tied the game at 9-9. Kiser worked out of the jam with a ground out and strikeout to set-up Nett’s game-winning homer.

Ansen Dulas made the start on the mound for the Mustangs and pitched six-plus innings, allowing seven hits and six runs with seven strikeouts and three walks.

Kiser (1-6), the last of four SMSU relief pitchers, earned the victory.

SMSU continues its homestand on Wednesday taking on the University of Mary with a doubleheader starting at 1:30 p.m. at Legion Field.

Saturday

SMSU 7,

Minnesota Crookston 2

Minnesota

Crookston 12, SMSU 2

(8 innings)

MARSHALL — Freshman Ryan Chmielewski fired a seven-inning complete game four-hitter with a career-high 11 strikeouts to pace Southwest Minnesota State to a 7-2 victory over Minnesota Crookston in game one of an NSIC baseball doubleheader on Saturday at Legion Field.

UMC, behind a strong pitching performance by Alex Koep, salvaged the split earning a 12-2 eight-inning win in game two.

Chmielewski (3-5) did not allow an earned run and walked just two batters while tossing 121 pitches, including 76 for strikes.

SMSU cracked out 10 hits in the opener with Chase McDaniel going 3 for 3 with a run scored, while Robbie Smith had two hits, including his first career home run. The victory snapped SMSU’s 14-game losing skid.

UMC took advantage of an SMSU throwing error in the top of the first to score a pair of unearned runs on a 2-run homer from Ben Thoma.

SMSU cut the deficit in half in the third as Smith belted his first career home run over the left field fence.

The Mustangs broke free in one of their biggest innings in weeks to take the lead in the fourth. Jaxon Haase started the inning with an 11-pitch walk. Moments later, Nick Brown blasted a 2-run homer to right field for his first career long-ball. SMSU wasn’t finished in the frame as McDaniel hit a one-out single and moved to third as Max Kalenberg reached on an error. Andy Andresen followed with a 2-run double to extend the lead to 5-2. The final run of the inning came across on a Keenan Wenzel infield single to plate Andresen and make the score 6-2.

SMSU added to the lead in the fifth as Owen Latendresse was hit by a pitch with one out and moved to third on a single by McDaniel. Kalenberg followed with a single through the right side to plate Latendresse and give the Mustangs a 7-2 advantage through five innings.

UMC put together a scoring threat in the sixth with two straight singles to open the frame. After a ground out and a strikeout, UMC loaded the bases with a walk, but Chmielewski struck out his 10th batter of the game to end the rally. He then worked a perfect seventh inning to secure the victory.

In game two, UMC (15-22, 7-11 NSIC) racked up 14 hits and took advantage of seven walks and six hit by pitches by Mustang pitching. Koep was in control all night long firing seven innings with nine strikeouts and allowing just three hits. He retired 14 of final 15 batters he faced from the third through seventh inning. He finished tossing 102 pitches with 66 for strikes.

UMC opened the scoring in the second inning taking advantage of two walks and two hit by pitches to take a 1-0 lead.

SMSU (9-24, 2-19 NSIC) tied the game in the third as Andresen reached on a one-out infield single. A walk to Robbie Smith and a wild pitch put runners in scoring position before Wenzel lofted a sac fly to right field to score Andresen and tie the game at 1-1 after three.

The Golden Eagles went back in front with a big fifth inning started by a one-out solo homer by Jake Hjelle. UMC would later take advantage of a fielding error, an RBI double, hit by pitch, a walk and two wild pitches to plate two more and build a 4-1 lead.

The lead moved to 7-1 in the sixth behind three more hits, a walk, a balk and a hit batter. UMC would blow the game open with a five-run eighth.

SMSU scored a run in the bottom of the eighth as Peyton Nash hit a pinch-hit double and later scored on a run-scoring single by Smith.

The Mustangs closed game two with six hits with Smith collecting two, while Haase, Nash, Isaac Nett and Andresen each had one.

Kolby Kiser started on the mound for SMSU and lasted 1 2/3 innings allowing one hit, three walks and one hit batter, while striking out two.

Kobe Lovell (1-1) suffered the loss tossing 2 2/3 innings and allowing four hits, three runs (two earned) with four strikeouts.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications