Nolan Grawe went 4-for-4 with four runs batted in and Brady Brown drove in three more runs to lead South Dakota State to a 13-3, seven-inning victory over Midland (Neb.) in nonconference baseball action Tuesday afternoon at Erv Huether Field.
With their fifth win in their last seven games, the Jackrabbits improved to 12-21 overall. Midland dropped to 12-28 on the season.
SDSU wasted little time in cracking the scoring column as each of the first three batters in the bottom of the first inning reached. Luke Wroblewski led off with a walk, advanced to third base on a single by Grawe and scored on a base hit by Luke Luskey.
The Jackrabbit lead grew to 3-0 an inning later, when Brown plated two runs with a single to shallow right field. Nic Werk and Luke Jones both scored on the play after Werk led off the frame with a double and Jones reached on an infield single.
Grawe, who extended his hitting streak to 14 games, homered after the first two batters of the fourth inning were retired to push the Jackrabbit lead to 4-0. It was Grawe’s second round-tripper of the season.
Midland scored all three of its runs in the sixth inning, starting its rally on walks to Aidan Smith and Jesse Chimenti. A bunt single by Jax Sorensen loaded the bases and Smith later scored on a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly and fielder’s choice plated the other two runs.
SDSU quickly responded with four runs of its own in the home half of the sixth inning and ended the game via the 10-run rule with five more in the seventh. Brown drove in Jones with the first run of the sixth inning with a single up the middle and Grawe followed two batters later with a two-run triple down the right-field line that put him a double away from the cycle. Grawe later scored on a wild pitch.
In the seventh, Nic Werk led off with a walk and came around to score all the way from first base when Jones’ liner to right field was misplayed. Jones would come across on a wild pitch. Grawe notched his fourth hit of the game with a solid single up the middle that plated Keagen Jirschele, and another run would score on an errant throw to third base to make the score 12-3.
With pinch-hitter Mason Lang at the plate, Grawe slid around the tag at home on a ball hit to the second baseman for the game-ending run.
The Jackrabbits held an 11-4 advantage in hits as Jones added three hits and Brown finished the afternoon 2-for-3.
On the mound, freshman Trey Husar worked two perfect innings of relief with four strikeouts to be credited with the win. Jacob Sjuts recorded the final six outs to pick a save after entering in the top of the sixth with the tying run on deck after consecutive walks.
ON DECK
The Jackrabbits are slated to host Oral Roberts in a three-game weekend series. The series opener is set for a 3 p.m. first pitch Friday at Erv Huether Field.
NOTES
- Tuesday’s game marked the first-ever meeting between SDSU and Midland on the baseball diamond
- The Jackrabbits won via the 10-run ruled for the fourth time in their last nine games
- Grawe’s four-hit game was the first of his career after 11 three-hit games
- Grawe is batting .379 (25-for-66) during his current 14-game hitting streak and has an extra-base hit in nine of those games
- Jones has five hits in the last two games after his first three-hit game as a Jackrabbit
- SDSU used six pitchers in the game while Midland sent eight hurlers to the mound