SANFORD, FLA. – The University of Sioux Falls Baseball Team lost a pair of nonconference games on Monday as they fell to Minnesota State, 11-8, and Wayne State (Mich.), 12-2. The Cougars will wrap up play on their Florida trip against nationally-ranked Ashland on Tuesday at 9 am.

Stat Breakdown – In the two games today, USF hit .203 with 13 hits in 64 at bats. USF was led by sophomore outfielder Connor King, who had three hits in five at bats with a double and two stolen bases. He had four total bases and slugged at .800. King now has a team-high .371 average with six steals and .589 OBP.

Freshman outfielder Brennan Albert hit .375 with three hits in eight at bats and had a team-high three RBI. He also had a stolen base as USF was 5-of-5 on steals today in the two games. Albert is now hitting .302 with a team-high 12 RBI. USF also had a solid performance from junior infielder Ryan Meyer who was 3-of-8 for a .375 average and had an RBI and a double. Alex Robinson had two hits, including his first home run of the season. On the mound, USF had a 9.56 ERA but collected 11 strikeouts. USF also had 11 walks and gave up 17 earned runs in 16 innings.

Minnesota State 11 Sioux Falls 8
The Cougars dropped an 11-8 slugfest to Minnesota State (7-3) in a game which included five MSU errors, 26 total hits (10 by USF) and a combined 10 walks with timely hits on both side.

MSU led 2-0, 6-2 and 8-2 before USF put up four runs in the eighth inning to draw within, 8-6. Then after the Mavericks scored three in the ninth inning, USF pushed across two in the bottom of the ninth before their rally ended with runners on base.

USF was led on offense by junior infielder Ryan Meyer, who had three hits, two runs scored and an RBI. Senior outfielder Alex Robinson hit his first home run and had two runs with a run scored and RBI. Albert provided two hits and RBI.

Senior left-hander Jackson Olson (0-2) took the loss after allowing four earned runs (six total) on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He had three strikeouts and four walks. USF also pitched sophomore Anthony Reese and senior Charles Roskowiak as well as redshirt freshman Drew Leonard, who worked two innings and allowed two runs on four hits. Jacob Boryca (1 inning, two hits, two runs), Payton Livingston (2 hits, one run) and Jack Blogg (2/3 innings, hit, strikeout).  Collin Denk (1-1) earned the win by working six innings and allowing seven hits and two runs with seven strikeouts. MSU used four pitchers with Hunter Even earning a save by retiring one hitter in the ninth.

After MSU scored a run in the first inning, Robinson tied the game with his first home run of the season in the bottom of the second. MSU took a 3-1 lead with single runs in the third and fifth innings.  In the bottom of the fifth frame, USF cut the lead to 3-2 when Meyer, who singled earlier, scored on an error by the Mavericks.

In the sixth inning, USF ran into control issues as MSU drew four straight walks to push the lead to 4-2. Then, after two pitching changes, a USF error led to another run as MSU took a 5-2 lead. With a ground out to first base, MSU added another run for a 6-2 lead. In the frame, MSU scored three runs without benefit of a hit. After that, MSU built an 8-2 lead before USF scored four times in the bottom of the eighth inning to draw with 8-6. MSU responded with three runs which was answered by two by USF before the Cougars had a rally ended and down, 11-8.

Game 2 – Wayne State 12 USF 2 (7 innings)
With an eight-run fifth inning, Wayne State (Mich.) broke open a tie game and took a rule-run shortened, 12-2 nonconference decision over USF on Monday afternoon.

After USF led 2-0 in the first inning, WSU answered with two runs in the third and broke it open with eight runs in the fifth inning before adding single tallies in the sixth and seventh innings.

Sean Nussbaum started and took the loss for USF. He allowed five hits and four earned runs with six strikeouts and three walks across 4 1/3 innings. Jacob Emerson followed Jack Blogg (hit, three runs), Charles Roskowiak (1/3 inning, hit, unearned run, walk), and Drew Leonard (1/3 inning) to the mound. In his stint, Emerson allowed three hits and two runs with a walk and a strikeout in two innings.

WSU's Austin Atwood (1-1) earned the win with six innings of three-hit ball. He allowed three hits and an earned run with nine strikeouts and four walks. Matt Krutsch finished for WSU with an inning of shutout relief.

For USF, King had two hits, including a double, and scored a run. Albert had the other USF hit and added a pair of RBI.

The Cougars opened the scoring in the first inning when King and Grant Lung reached base and scored on a two-run single by Albert as the Cougars led, 2-0. WSU scored twice in the third and scored eight times on four hits in the fifth inning for a 10-2 lead.  From that point, Atwood and Krutsch controlled the USF bats and took the victory.