SIOUX FALLS – The University of Sioux Falls Baseball Team (3-17, 1-6) dropped a pair of games to St. Cloud State (18-3, 6-1) by scores of 12-7 and 15-0 at Ronken Field at Karras Park on Saturday night.
USF and SCSU will wrap up the NSIC baseball series with a single game at 5 p.m., on Sunday night at Ronken Field.
Game 1 – St. Cloud State 12 Sioux Falls 7
In the opener, USF and SCSU were involved in a slugfest which the Huskies won by a score of 12-7. The Huskies opened up an 8-2 lead before USF, used its power game, closed within 8-6 in the bottom of the fifth inning. However, SCSU put up a run in the sixth inning and three more in the seventh inning to pick up the win. The Huskies, which finished with 12 runs on 15 hits, were led by Jordan Joseph with three hits and two RBI and Toran Shahidi with three hits in five at bats with three RBI.
USF was led by
Ryan Bernardy who hit a three-run home run, stole two bases also singled in four at bats as he had three RBIs. All-region first baseman
Josh Rehwaldt also homered, collected two hits and drove in two runs for USF. The Cougars, which was hurt by four errors on defense, had seven runs on seven hits.
SCSU All-American pitcher Dominic Austing started but lasted just three innings against USF. He allowed four hits and five runs with two walks while striking out five. However, SCSU reliever Riley Ahern picked up the win as he threw four innings and allowed three hits with two runs and recorded a career-high nine strikeouts.
USF starter and sophomore
Jackson Olson fell to 0-2 after throwing 2 1/3 innings and allowing six runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Senior
Christian Lazar (one inning, five hits, two runs, strikeout), redshirt sophomore
Matt Graham (2 2/3 innings, one hit, one run, three strikeouts) and senior
Mitchell Lyall (one inning, three hits, three runs – all unearned) also worked on the mound for USF.
A two-run single from Joseph scored Lenny Walker and Mathew Meyer to give SCSU a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. However Rehwaldt hit his second home run of the season and the 20th of his career with a deep shot over the centerfield fence in the bottom of the first inning.
In the second inning, SCSU scored a pair of unearned runs with a wild pitch and sac fly on by Mathew Meyer for a 4-1 lead. In the bottom half of the second, Bernardy singled, stole second and third base and scored on a wild pitch as USF cut the deficit to 4-2.
After SCSU opened up an 8-2 lead, the Cougars had the response as sophomore
Grant Lung walked and sophomore
Alex Robinson singled with both scoring on a long home run by Bernardy. For Bernardy, he hit his sixth career home run and second of the season with a deep drive over the right field fence as USF trailed, 8-5.
In the fifth inning, Rehwaldt singled and eventually scored on a play when Lung was caught stealing second and Rehwaldt came home on the play. Then, SCSU added an unearned run for a 9-6 lead. SCSU added three runs in the seventh inning including one on a triple by Shahidi.
USF scored their final run in the seventh inning as freshman
Connor King's RBI single plated
Brennan Gabriel who opened the inning with a walk.
G2 – St. Cloud State 15 Sioux Falls 0
In game two, SCSU's Blake Flint and Trevor Koenig combined to throw a one-hit shutout in a 15-0 win by the Huskies. Flint allowed just a single to Rehwaldt in five innings while striking out eight hitters. Koenig worked the final two innings and did not allow a hit while registering six strikeouts.
USF starter, freshman
Sean Nussbaum, fell to 0-2 after allowing six hits and five earned runs in two innings.
Leo Ramos (two innings, two hits, two earned runs, three walks and two strikeouts),
John Berroth (one inning, three hits, three earned runs and a walk) and
Charles Roskowiak (two innings, three hits, one unearned run, walk and strikeout) also worked for USF.
SCSU scored three runs in the first inning and added four runs in the third inning for a 7-0 lead. The Huskies continued to build the lead with two runs in the fourth inning, one run in the fifth inning and five runs in the sixth inning.
The Huskies finished with 15 runs on 14 hits and were aided by five USF errors. Jordan Joseph led SCSU with three hits and five RBI; Najee Gaskins had three hits and three RBI and Lenny Walker had three hits, RBI and two runs scored.
