OMAHA, Neb. — Omaha gained the lead with a six-run sixth inning and closed out regular season play with a 13-8 victory over South Dakota State in Summit League baseball action Saturday at Tal Anderson Field.
In winning the series three games to one on their home field, the Mavericks improved to 21-24 overall and 16-11 in league play. SDSU dropped to 21-30 overall and 12-15 in The Summit League.
Omaha opened the scoring on a three-run home run by Hayden Lewis in the bottom of the second inning and the game remained that way until the Jackrabbits rallied to tie the game in the top of the fifth. SDSU began the frame with four consecutive hits, three of which went for extra bases. Owen Siegert led off with a double and scored on a triple down the right-field line by Nolan Grawe. Nate Wachter followed with an RBI single and Luke Luskey added a ground-rule double. Wachter would later score the tying run on a groundout off the bat of Dayton Franke.
The Jackrabbits would take their lone lead of the game an inning later with a run. Keagen Jirschele notched a leadoff single and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Nic Werk. After an infield single by Siegert, Jirschele crossed home plate on a groundout by Grawe.
SDSU’s advantage would be short-lived, however, as Omaha put together a six-run home half of the inning against three different Jackrabbit relievers for a 9-4 lead. The Mavericks received run-scoring singles from Lewis and Henry Zipay and were aided by five walks and a hit batter while sending 12 men to the plate. Two of the bases on balls were with the bases loaded to Tyler Bishop and Sam Beck.
Zipay drove in two more runs with a single in the seventh inning and the Mavericks tacked on another run in the eighth on an RBI single by Edoardo Cornelli.
The Jackrabbits closed out the scoring with a grand slam by Jirschele with two outs in the top of the ninth. Jirschele and Grawe each went 3-for-5 to pace SDSU’s 12-hit effort.
Lewis was 3-for-5 as Omaha tallied 11 hits in the game.
SDSU starter Kaden Rylance worked the first 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on three hits. He struck out three and walked two. Tristan Augedahl was saddled with the loss after being tagged with six runs over an inning.
For the Mavericks, Michael Sall tossed the first four-plus innings before turning it over to the bullpen. Tanner Hosick was credited with the win.
ON DECK
SDSU will be the No. 4 seed for the Summit League Baseball Championship and will face top-seeded Oral Roberts at noon Wednesday. Omaha is seeded second and will meet Northern Colorado at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The double-elimination tournament will be played at Siebert Field on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis.
NOTES
- Omaha leads the all-time series, 102-96-1
- Jirschele became the third Jackrabbit to hit a grand slam this season, joining Dayton Franke (Feb. 18 at Incarnate Word) and Luke Luskey (May 3 at North Dakota State)
- Jirschele finished the series 6-for-14 at the plate for a .429 batting average
- Siegert hit safely in all four games of the series after missing the previous 19 games due to injury
- Grawe’s triple was his fifth of the season, which is the most by a Jackrabbit player since Eric Cain registered six three-baggers in 2012
- SDSU pitchers issued 12 free passes — 10 walks and two hit batters — in the game