MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota squeezed in a run in the bottom of the 10th inning to score the game-winning run in a 3-2 victory over South Dakota State Saturday night in the Cambria Classic college baseball tournament at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Golden Gophers improved to 2-0 in the Cambria Classic and 11-3 overall. SDSU dropped to 1-1 on the weekend and 5-9 overall.
The game-winning rally began when Jack Spanier drew his third walk of the game with one out in the home half of the 10th. Easton Richter followed with a double to right field off Jackrabbit reliever Tristan Augedahl, putting runners at second and third. Sam Hunt then stepped to the plate and on the first pitch of his at-bat, dropped down a bunt that allowed Spanier to race across with the decisive run.
Minnesota also took advantage of walks issued by Jackrabbit starter Sam Schlecht to score its first two runs of the game. Ty Allen drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the second and scored the first run of the contest on a double by Davis Hamilton.
Allen drew a second walk with two outs in the eighth, moved to third on a base hit by Hamilton and scored the tying run on a balk committed by reliever Austin Henry.
The Jackrabbits knotted the game at 1-all with a run in the fourth, then took their lone lead of the night in the top of the seventh on doubles by Nic Werk and Nolan Grawe. Carter Taylor drove in the first SDSU run with an infield single that plated Luke Luskey.
The reigning Summit League Peak Pitcher of the Week, Schlecht turned in his third consecutive solid start. A native of the Twin Cities suburb of Maple Grove, Schlecht held Minnesota to three hits and two runs over 6 2/3 innings and struck out a season-high seven batters for the second outing in a row.
Minnesota starter Isaac Morton put up nearly identical numbers as the right-hander struck out seven, walked two and gave up a run on four hits over six innings.
Adam Urban earned the win after fanning four batters in three scoreless frames.
SDSU held a 9-4 advantage in hits, with Grawe leading the offense by going 3-for-5.
ON DECK
The Jackrabbits have a quick turnaround to close out the Cambria Classic with a 10 a.m. matchup Sunday against Southern Illinois.
NOTES
- Minnesota leads the all-time series, 43-15, and has won the last six meetings
- SDSU played its first extra-inning game of the season
- The Jackrabbits’ last three games — all against Big Ten Conference opponents — have been decided by one run (1-2 record)
- Over his last three starts, Schlecht has posted a 2.04 earned run average (4 ER in 17.2 IP) with 18 strikeouts
- Henry made his longest outing as a Jackrabbit with 2 1/3 scoreless innings and has yet to allow a run in seven innings over his seven appearances so far this season
- Grawe has doubled in each of the last three games and now leads the Jackrabbits with six doubles on the season
- Grawe is 7-for-13 (.538 batting average) over the last three games
- Werk and Owen Siegert each extended their hitting streaks to five games