DENVER – Despite a three-run home run by Ryan Bernardy and four hits from Josh Rehwaldt, the University of Sioux Falls Baseball Team (0-3) dropped a 15-7 nonconference matchup with Metro State –Denver in Denver on Sunday.

Rehwaldt had another big game for USF with four hits in five trips, including his first home run of the season and 12th of his career. He added three RBIs to USF's 12-hit attack. In the three games, Rehwaldt has sizzled at the plate with eight hits in 11 at bats for a .727 batting average along with two home runs, six RBI, 1.273 slugging mark and .714 OBP. With six RBIs this season, he is now at 96 for his career.

Senior Dylan Gavin also had a pair of base hits, including a ninth-inning double, for USF. Also collecting two hits for USF was Ryan Bernardy, who hit a three-run home run. Bernardy, who slammed his second career home run, upped his batting average to .364. Matthew Minnick, Rob Johnson, Connor Merriam and Grant Lung also had hits. Merriam and Lung provided RBIs.

Freshman Brandon Roesler (0-1) started and took the loss for USF. He worked four innings, allowing 12 hits and five earned runs with a strikeout. Stuart Maes was one of five other pitchers in relief of Roesler. Maes allowed four runs on two hits in 1 1/3 innings. Spencer Dokken (2/3 inning, two hits, three runs, strikeout), Matt Graham (1/3 inning, two hits, three runs), Payton Livingston (2/3 inning, one hit, one strikeout) and John Berroth (one inning, two hits, two runs.

Picking up the win for MSU-Denver was Beecher Strube (1-0), who delivered a solid effort as he allowed eight hits and three earned runs with five strikeouts. Three other MSU-D worked on the game. Trent Maloney had a big day for the Roadrunners with four hits in four trips with two home runs and eight RBI. Donny Ortiz also had four hits, two RBIs and scored five times while Sean Kennedy had three hits, three runs and an RBI.

Game Breakdown
The Cougars struck first as Rehwaldt's RBI single in the first inning scored Rob Johnson, who had opened the game with a base hit.

MSU added two runs in both the bottom of the first and the third inning another in the fifth inning to take a 5-1 lead. USF cut the deficit to 5-3 in the top of the sixth inning after Minnick singled and came home on an RBI single by Merriam. Lung's double plated Merriam.

However MSU answered back with four runs in the home half of the sixth inning to push their advantage to 9-3. In the top of the seventh inning, Rehwaldt's second RBI of the game plated Brent Jarvis to cut the MSU lead to 9-4.

The Roadrunners responded by pushing the lead higher with a six-run seventh inning which included several USF pitching changes. In the eighth, two hits batsman (Anthony Lopez, Brent Jarvis) and a Ryan Bernardy three-run home run helped USF pull within 15-7. After MSU-D plated two more runs, Rehwaldt delivered his fourth hit of the game and his second home run of the season to cut the deficit to 17-8.

Next for USF will be off until March 2 when they face Rogers State (Okla.) in Springfield, Mo.