JACKS UPEND MINNESOTA, 7-5

Wednesday, March 2

Minneapolis, Minn. | U.S. Bank Stadium

6 p.m.

South Dakota State University

2-6

Minnesota

3-7

South Dakota State

Minnesota Gophers

Photo by: Erik Williams

3/2/2022 10:32:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS — A five-run top of the first inning propelled South Dakota State to a 7-5 victory over Minnesota in college baseball action Wednesday night at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Four freshman pitchers combined to throw the first seven innings for the Jackrabbits, who improved to 2-6 overall. Minnesota dropped to 3-7 on the season.

Each of the first four batters reached in the top of the first inning for SDSU as Henry George led off with a double and Luke Ira and Nic Nelson were each hit by a pitch to load the bases. Derek Hackman drove in George with the first run of the game with an infield single.

After a Jamie Berg groundout plated Ira to give the Jackrabbits a 2-0 lead, Drew Beazley cleared the bases with a three-run home run to left off Minnesota starter Richie Holetz. It was Beazley's first home run of the season.

Minnesota scored single runs in the home half of both the first and second innings against Jackrabbit starter Dane Toman. Jack Kelly knocked in the first Golden Gopher run with a sacrifice fly and Ronald Sweeny connected for a solo homer to lead off the second inning.

In between the first two Minnesota runs, SDSU added a run in the top of the second as George notched his second double of the game and Hackman delivered a sacrifice fly.

Following two shutout innings of relief by Reece Arbogast, SDSU pushed its lead to 7-2 in the fifth on an RBI single by Dawson Parry that brought home Hackman. Arbogast was credited with his first collegiate victory after striking out one.

The Golden Gophers answered with a run of their own in the fifth inning and further cut into the deficit with runs in the seventh and eighth innings, but left-hander Bret Barnett retired the side in order in the ninth to close out the SDSU victory.

Minnesota held a 13-12 advantage in hits, highlighted by 3-for-3 night by Easton Bertrand. Hackman was 3-for-4 to lead the Jackrabbits, with George, Beazley and Ryan McDonald each adding two hits.

UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits move to play a four-game weekend series at Central Arkansas. Friday's series opener is slated for a 6 p.m. first pitch at Bear Stadium in Conway, Arkansas.

NOTES

Minnesota leads the all-time series, 37-14
SDSU has won the last two meetings, both of which have been played at U.S. Bank Stadium
Hackman recorded his second three-hit game of the season and is now batting .478 (11-for-23) for the season
Hackman has reached base safely in all eight games this season
Barnett's save was the 12th of his career, tying him with Chris Halbur (12 saves from 2016-17) for fourth place on the SDSU career charts
Beazley has collected four extra-base hits (three doubles, one home run) in his last three games
Joe Husak pitched the fifth inning and fellow freshman Alex Clemons handled the sixth and seventh innings for the Jackrabbits
Beazley moved to the mound to pitch the eighth inning after starting the game as the designated hitter
The Jackrabbits' five runs in their first at-bat matched the most runs they have scored in the first inning of a game under head coach Rob Bishop (since 2017); SDSU had scored five first-inning runs on four other occasions, including against Oral Roberts on May 20, 2021