SIOUX FALLS – Led by Matthew Minnick and Grant Lung on offense and strong starting pitching, including a complete game two-hitter from senior right-hander Dylan Gavin, the University of Sioux Falls Baseball Team (6-18, 6-8 NSIC) swept a doubleheader from St. Cloud State on Friday, 3-1 and 10-9 in 10 innings at the Birdcage.

USF hosted SCSU when the series, originally scheduled for March 30-31 in St. Cloud, Minn., was moved to Sioux Falls due to weather and field conditions.
On the day, USF freshman shortstop Grant Lung was 4-of-8 and hit .500 with two runs, a RBI and a double. Minnick, a senior right fielder, had four hits in nine at bats and a .444 average. He had a 1.000 slugging mark on Friday as he homered had two doubles with four RBI and nine total bases.

USF's swept an NSIC doubleheader for the first time this season and the first time since taking two from Upper Iowa (11-1, 20-2) on April 23, 2017 at the Birdcage. It is the second straight year that USF and SCSU finished 2-2 with both teams sweeping a doubleheader. USF took two from SCSU on March 20 (5-4, 7-6) at the Birdcage. USF moved to 6-8 in the league and 10^th in the NSIC. SCSU fell to 8-3 in league play and fell from second to fourth in the NSIC standings.  
Game 1 – Sioux Falls 3 SCSU 1
Gavin had his best performance of the season as he tossed a two-hit complete game to lead the Cougars to a 3-1 win over SCSU.

Gavin, who moved to 2-3 on the season, had two strikeouts and allowed just one run in throwing his first complete game of the season. With his brilliant seven-inning performance, he dropped his earned run average to 2.80 through six starts.  Lung led USF with a pair of base hits and an RBI.

After SCSU grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning, the Cougars responded with a three-run six inning. With bases loaded, Lung recorded an RBI single to plate freshman outfielder Luke Rysavy, who singled earlier in the inning. Freshman catcher Alex Elizondo scored on a wild pitch and junior first baseman Josh Rehwaldt drove in a third run as freshman third baseman Ryan Meyer, who reached on a walk, scored.

Nathan Strobel (1-2) took the loss for SCSU, allowing two hits and three runs (two earned) in two innings. He was one of four Huskies pitchers to see action.

Game 2 – Sioux Falls 10 SCSU 9 (10 innings)
For the second time this season, the Cougars pulled out a win in extra innings. USF used a single from Minnick and two SCSU errors to push across a run in the 10^th inning. Then sophomore left-hander Jackson Olson recorded his career first save by mowing down the Huskies in the bottom of the 10^th inning to preserve the victory.

USF freshman Anthony Reese (1-1) picked up his first career win by working three inning and allowing four hits with two earned runs. Freshman Brandon Roesler started for USF, allowing four hits and five runs but just two earned with three strikeouts. Roesler had his third straight solid start as he extended a scoreless inning streak to 15 innings before SCSU broke through with three unearned runs in the fifth inning. Spencer Dokken (one inning, four hits, and two runs) also pitched in relief for USF.

Minnick had a big game for the Cougars with three hits, including a home run, and four RBIs as well as two runs. Lung had two more hits and two runs scored while Rehwaldt had two hits, RBI and two runs scored for USF, which totaled eight hits.

Zach Iten (0-3) took the loss for SCSU, going one inning with one hit and a run (unearned) allowed. He was one of four pitchers for the Huskies, including starter Matthew Osterberg, who gave up four hits and seven runs but two earned runs as SCSU.

USF jumped to a 7-0 lead, helped by five of SCSU's seven errors on the night. Lung opened the game with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior centerfielder Brent Jarvis. Rehwaldt's RBI double to left field plated Lung. Then, designated hitter Dylan Gavin laid down a squeeze bunt and Rehwaldt came across with USF's second run.

In the second frame, Rysavy reached by error, advanced on Elizondo's sacrifice bunt and stole third when no one was covering on the play. He subsequently scored on a throwing error SCSU. In the third inning, Minnick's three-run double pushed the lead to 6-0. Minnick scored on a wild pitch as the Cougars opened up a 7-0 advantage through three innings. However, SCSU responded with a three-run double from Isaac Matchinsky in the fifth inning and cut the lead to 7-6 after Matt Meyer's three-run home run in the sixth inning.

Lung opened the seventh inning with a double, advanced to third on passed ball and scored on Gabe Shemwell's sacrifice fly to right field.

After SCSU cut the lead to 8-7,  Minnick took the first pitch of the eighth inning over the left field wall for a 9-7 advantage. In the bottom of the eighth frame, SCSU scored twice to tie the game at nine and when neither team scored in the ninth inning, the game went to extra innings. Then SCSU committed two more errors and Minnick's clutch hit helped USF break the tie.
 
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