South Dakota State pitchers Drew McDowell and Austin Henry combined on South Dakota State’s first no-hitter in the Division I era as the Jackrabbits posted an 11-1, seven-inning victory over Buena Vista in nonconference baseball action Tuesday afternoon at Erv Huether Field.
The Jackrabbits improved to 15-25 overall. BVU is 9-26 on the season.
A sophomore right-hander from Billings, Montana, McDowell worked through some early control issues to complete six innings. He walked the first two batters of the game and gave up a run after a flyout and groundout each advanced runners, but wound up retiring 18 batters in a row.
McDowell struck out the side in order in the second inning, as well as the first two batters of the third inning, en route to a career-high seven strikeouts.
Henry allowed a man to reach on a hit-by-pitch in the top of the seventh, but finished off the no-hitter thanks to a snag of a soft liner down the line by third baseman Nolan Grawe with one out in the final frame.
Luke Luskey paced the Jackrabbit offense with a pair of extra-base hits and four runs batted in. He doubled to lead off the bottom of the second inning and scored the first Jackrabbit run of the game on a passed ball. Grant Sorensen, who also registered two hits, added a two-run double later in the inning as SDSU would score in six consecutive innings.
Luskey pushed the SDSU lead to 7-1 with a two-run home run down the right-field line in the home half of the fifth. He also plated two runs with sacrifice flies in the third and sixth innings. Nate Wachter added a run-scoring triple in a two-run sixth inning.
The Jackrabbits ended the game via the 10-run rule as the first four batters of the inning drew walks, including Luke Wroblewski with the bases loaded. Grawe then provided the final tally with a single to right-center field.
SDSU finished the game with eight hits and was aided by four BVU errors and 11 walks. The Beavers used nine different pitchers in the contest.
ON DECK
The Jackrabbits close out their nine-game homestand with a 3 p.m. game Wednesday against Minnesota Morris.
NOTES
- The all-time series between SDSU and Buena Vista is now tied, 3-3
- Wednesday’s game marked the first game between the two programs since 1954
- The Jackrabbits’ last no-hitter was thrown by Pete Torgerson against Southwest Minnesota State on April 1, 1989
- Luskey upped his team- and Summit League-leading RBI total to 38
- Luskey’s home run was the 29th of his career, putting him two away from moving into the SDSU career top 10 in the category
- Carter Taylor walked twice and has now reached base in 19 consecutive games, marking the longest streak by a Jackrabbit player this season
- Sorensen has hit safely in four consecutive games
- McDowell’s previous career high in strikeouts was five, set two times earlier this season (vs. North Dakota State on March 20 and vs. Briar Cliff on April 22)