SDSU baseball cracks win column

Saturday, March 3

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

2 p.m.

South Dakota State University

1-8

Southeast Missouri State

3-8

South Dakota State

Southeast Missouri

Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen

3/3/2018 9:46:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Freshman Gus Steiger hit the go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning and Tyler Olmstead pitched 6 1/3 strong innings to lead the South Dakota State University baseball team to its first win of the season, 7-4, over Southeast Missouri State Saturday afternoon at Capaha Field.

The Jackrabbits ended an eight-game losing streak to open the season, while SEMO dropped to 3-8 overall.

With the game knotted at 2-all, Steiger connected on a 2-2 pitch for a homer over the fence in left-center field that scored Kolton Michalski ahead of him. It was the first collegiate round-tripper for the native of Minnetonka, Minnesota.

SEMO pulled to within a run in the bottom of the seventh on a run-scoring single by Trevor Ezell, then loaded the bases with one out in the eighth. However, Jackrabbit reliever Alex Marro induced a third-to-first double play to end the threat.

SDSU carried the momentum into the top of the ninth, scoring three times to build a 7-3 lead. Pinch-hitter Nick Smith lined a triple down the right-field line to score two and Philip Jacobson followed with a double to plate Smith.

Ezell delivered his second run batted in of the day on a groundout in the home half of the ninth, but Marro prevented further damage to earn his first save in a Jackrabbit uniform.

SEMO scored single runs in each of the first two innings before SDSU tied the game in the top of third on an RBI double by Anthony Schneider and run-scoring single by Josh Kutzke.

Olmstead, a sophomore right-hander from Sioux Falls, held the Redhawks scoreless over the next four-plus innings. He struck out four, walked one and scattered nine hits en route to the win. Bryce Johnson added a scoreless inning of relief before giving way to Marro, who recorded the final five outs.

The Redhawks out-hit SDSU, 12-10, with each of the first four hitters in the SEMO lineup recording two hits each. Kutzke and Newt Johnson each tallied a pair of hits for the Jackrabbits.

UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits and Redhawks are scheduled to play the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday.

NOTES
• SEMO leads the all-time series, 7-3, as the Jackrabbits ended a three-game losing streak in the series
• SDSU did not commit an error for the fifth consecutive game and has made only four miscues in nine games this season
• Josh Falk extended his hitting streak to a team-best five games
• Tony Kjolsing was hit by a pitch and drew a walk, extending his streak of reaching base safely to 23 games dating back to last season
• Olmstead's outing was the longest of his career
• Sophomore left-hander Brady Stover is the Jackrabbits' scheduled starter for Sunday's contest

-GoJacks.com-