MINNEAPOLIS — For the second time in eight days, South Dakota State and Minnesota battled down to the wire in a baseball game at Siebert Field. And for the second time in as many outings, it was the Golden Gophers who came out on top, posting a 4-2 victory Wednesday night.
In extending its winning streak to seven games, Minnesota improved to 18-17 overall. SDSU dropped to 7-24 on the season.
Minnesota scored the game’s final four runs after the Jackrabbits grabbed an early lead with a two-run top of the first inning. Freshman Nolan Grawe singled, advanced to third on a base hit by Luke Luskey and scored when fellow first-year standout Owen Siegert sliced a pitch inside the third-base bag for a double. Luskey later came in to score on an RBI groundout off the bat of Adam Benes.
The Golden Gophers tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning. The rally started with Brayden Hellum worked a one-out walk and later scored on an infield single by SamHunt and a Jackrabbit error. Drew Berkland plated the tying run with a single.
Jackrabbit starter Dylan Richey struck out the side in the third inning, but again ran into trouble to open the fourth. Hunt doubled with one out and Jake Larson was hit by pitch before Richey was lifted in favor of reliever Sam Schlecht. Both runners moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch, setting the stage for Berkland, who delivered a sacrifice fly for his second run batted in of the contest.
SDSU placed the leadoff man on base in each of the third through sixth innings, but a pair of double plays erased promising starts to the fourth and fifth frames.
Schlecht kept the Golden Gophers at bay until Minnesota added an insurance run in the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly by Jake Perry that brought home Easton Richter.
After Minnesota starter Luke Ryerse worked the first 2 2/3 innings, Tyler Hemmesch followed with 2 1/3 scoreless frames, starting by getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the third. Jonathan Dobis and Noah Rooney each added two scoreless innings to close out the game, with Rooney credited for his second save of the season after earning the victory in the squads’ meeting last week.
Hits were even at seven with Grawe leading the Jackrabbit offense by reaching base four times as he went 2-for-3 and drew a pair of walks. Hunt was the lone player with two hits for Minnesota.
UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits will remain in the Twin Cites for a three-game series at Summit League-leading St. Thomas. The series opener is set for a 3 p.m. first pitch Thursday at Koch Diamond in St. Paul.
NOTES
- Minnesota leads the all-time series, 42-15, and has won the last five meetings
- The Jackrabbits dropped to 0-8 in night games this season
- Siegert took over the team lead with his eighth double
- Siegert extended his hitting streak to seven games and has reached base safely in 16 consecutive games
- Grawe recorded his ninth multi-hit game of the season and has a hitting streak of six games