SIOUX FALLS, S.D. –  Senior Josh Rehwaldt slugged a pair of home runs as the University of Sioux Falls Baseball Team (13-37, 11-25 NSIC) closed their season with a split of a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader against Concordia St. Paul (21-27, 12-23) on Senior Day (May 4) at the Birdcage.

The Cougars took a 5-3 decision in game one before losing a heart-breaker, 4-3, in the second half of the twin bill. On Senior Day, USF Baseball recognized the contributions of eight seniors include Rehwaldt, Ryan Bernardy, Christian Lazar, Mitchell Lyall, Duncan Jakubowski, Spencer Dokken, Dan Johnson and John Berroth. Seven of the eight played during the doubleheader.

USF finished the season at 13-37 and 11-25 in the NSIC, which placed the Cougars 12^th in the final league standings.

Quick Review of Seniors –
Rehwaldt concluded his career at USF with three hits, including a pair of towering home runs, in five at bats while scoring three runs and knocking in three runs in the two games. He had a 1.800 slugging mark and .714 OBP on the day. Rehwaldt, who registered 17 putouts at first base, also drew two intentional passes. He finished the season with a team-high .337 batting average and 10 home runs plus a team-high 35 RBI as well as .438 OBP. Rehwaldt finished his career with 27 home runs, 266 hits, 44 stolen bases, 194 starts, 422 total bases, 162 RBI plus a .366 career batting average, all totals which are the best by a USF player in the DII era.

Bernardy, who had three hits in seven at bats with a stolen bases in the doubleheader today, finished his season with six home runs (10 in his career) and a .250 batting average. Christian Lazar, who had a save in game one, had a stellar season with a 3.02 earned run average in 24 appearances as he threw 35 2/3 innings and had 46 strikeouts with just five walks. He was 4-2 with a save on the season. Mitchell Lyall, who won game one today, finished with a 2.04 earned average as a senior when he was 3-1 with 16 appearances, 14 strikeouts and 17 2/3 innings pitched. John Berroth was 1-1 as a senior and had seven strikeouts in six appearances. Spencer Dokken had nine strikeouts in 12.2 innings and made 14 appearances.

Game 1 – Sioux Falls 5 Concordia St. Paul 3
Rehwaldt homered and USF had a three-run third inning to record a 5-3 decision in the opener. USF had a strong effort on the mound with five pitchers contributing. Mitchell Lyall moved to 3-1 on the season after pitching one inning of scoreless relief to earn the victory.

Sophomore Alex Loosbrock started and worked 3 2/3 innings while allowing five hits and three runs (one earned) with three strikeouts while throwing 72 pitches. Berroth finished the fourth inning by retiring the only batter he faced. After Lyall worked the fifth inning, Matt Graham had a strikeout in a perfect sixth inning and then Lazar closed the door on CSP with a pair of strikeouts while allowing just one hit in the seventh frame.

Rehwaldt had two hits and two RBI with a run scored while Alex Robinson also had two hits plus and RBI. Both Bernardy and Trey Hubers had two hits as USF put together 10 in the game. CSP's Blake Stelzer took the loss after allowing eight hits and four runs with four strikeouts in three innings. Patrick Bordewick led CSP's offense with two hits and an RBI.

In the bottom of the first inning, Grant Lung walked, stole second and advanced to third on Rehwaldt's ground out. He scored on a two-out run-scoring single by Robinson as the Cougars led, 1-0. In the top of the third, a hit batsman, error and base hit by CSP provided the Golden Bears with two unearned runs for a 2-1 advantage over USF.  

After Lung hit a one-out double, Rehwaldt produced a run-scoring single to right field to tie the game at 2-2 in the third inning. But USF wasn't finished.  After Rehwaldt, was caught stealing, Robinson and Bernardy singled to right field and Sam Michels scored Robinson with a hit through the left side for a 3-2 lead. Hubers followed with a single to right field as Bernardy came home and the Cougars took a 4-2 lead. In the inning USF had three runs on six hits.

Later in the bottom of the fifth inning, Rehwaldt hammered a home run over right field wall as USF took a 5-3 lead. Then, USF turned the game to its bullpen, which delivered.

Game 2 – Concordia St. Paul 4 Sioux Falls 3
Lazar (4-2) was the hard luck loser in the second game as CSP scored a run on a stolen base and error in the ninth inning to pull out a 4-3 decision.

In the game, USF used six pitchers including freshman Sean Nussbaum, who started and worked four innings. He gave up six hits and two runs with a strikeout in throwing 67 pitches. Jackson Olson and Payton Livingston both worked a scoreless inning of relief with each recording a strikeout. Spencer Dokken allowed an unearned in one inning of work. Lazar gave up one hit and the run in throwing nine pitchers in the ninth inning.

For the second straight game, Rehwaldt hit a homer with his blast over the right center field wall providing USF with a 1-0 lead. He finished with two runs scored and the HR and was intentionally passed twice. USF, which had six hits, had two base hits from Lung, who doubled twice in the contest. Hubers had a hit and RBI and Kyle Gulbrandson had a base hit.

CSP was led by Carter Schmidt and Steven Nessler, who both had two hits. Keanu Mendez started for CSP but did not figure in the decision after throwing 7 2/3 innings and allowing six hits and three runs with eight strikeouts. Shane Benson (3-1) earned the win with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

With USF trailing 3-2 in the eighth inning, the Cougars loaded the bases, including an intentional pass to Rehwaldt, and tied the game at 3-3 when Sam Michels enticed a walk by Mendez. In the ninth, CSP had a double from Ben Suits and his pinch runner, Cole Kirchoff, stole third and came home on a USF throwing error with one out in the ninth inning.