DENVER, COLO – The University of Sioux Falls Baseball Team (0-2) dropped a doubleheader to Metro State (2-3) in nonconference play on Friday afternoon at the Athletic Regency Complex. The Cougars and Roadrunners will play again on Saturday (Feb. 16) at 1 p.m.
The Cougars struggled hitting with just four runs on six hits combined in the two games which opened the season. MSU collected 18 runs on 27 hits as they improved to 2-3 overall.
Josh Rehwaldt,
Luke Rysavy and
Grant Lung each collected two hits to lead the Cougars offense.
Game 1 - MSU 5 Sioux Falls 1
In the first half of a doubleheader, Matt Malkin of Metro State hit a three-run home run to open up a close game as the Roadrunners won their first game of the season with a 5-1 decision over the Cougars.
Sophomore
Jackson Olson (0-1) started and took the loss as he allowed eight hits and five earned runs across four innings with three strikeouts. A bright spot for USF was the performance of sophomore righthander
Alex Loosbrock, who took over in the fifth inning and worked four innings of shutout relief pitching. He allowed just three hits while recording a career-best seven strikeouts including five caught looking.
Austin Stone earned the win for MSU as he worked five innings and allowed just three hits and one unearned run with eight strikeouts. TJ Egloff threw two innings of shutout relief and had two strikeouts. Zach Sundine also picked two innings for MSU and he allowed no hits and had a strikeout in his time on the mound.
MSU opened the game with runs in the first and third innings to take a 2-0 lead. In the third inning, Jake Kistaitis, who led the MSU offense with three hits, singled with two out to score Logan Soole. In the top of the fourth, the Cougars broke through against MSU and pulled within 2-1 as a Rysavy recorded his first career triple which plated freshman
Nash Dalzell, who scored the first run on his career. MSU answered with a three-run home run by Matt Malkin to build a 5-1 advantage and closed out USF.
Game 2 – Metro State 13 Sioux Falls 3
In game two, MSU had a pair of home runs in the fifth inning to break open a close game as the Roadrunners picked up a 13-3 decision and a doubleheader sweep over USF. The Cougars were led offensively by
Josh Rehwaldt who had a two-run triple.
After MSU took a 1-0 lead, the Cougars tied the game into the fourth inning when Rysavy doubled and later scored on an RBI ground out by
Ryan Bernardy. For Bernardy, it was his first RBI of the season and the 13
th of his career.
MSU used its power to break the tie in the bottom of the fifth inning. Malkin hit his second home run of the day - a three-run shot - and Cade Peters also hit a long ball as the Roadrunners took a 4-1 lead. MSU added a run in the seventh for a 5-1 advantage.
Rehwaldt hit a two-run triple to plate Lung and
Ryan Meyer as the Cougars cut the MSU lead to 5-3 in the top of the eighth inning. However, the Roadrunners answered with eight runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and took a 13-3 decision. Malkin led MSU with four RBIs and a pair of hits.
Brandon Roesler (0-1) picked up the loss for USF in his first start of the season. He allowed seven runs on 11 hits with seven strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings.
Christian Lazar, Peyton Livingston and
Leo Ramos also worked in relief in the eighth inning. MSU used four pitchers with Javi Vega (1-0) earned the win by tossing three innings of scoreless relief. He had four strikeouts and only allowed two walks. Logan Soole started for MSU and worked four innings. He allowed a run on one hit with five strikeouts.
