MINOT, N.D. – The University of Sioux Falls Baseball Team (4-2, 0-2 NSIC) dropped a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games to Minot State (4-3, 2-0 NSIC), 12-2 and 13-3 on Saturday (March 20) at Corbett Field. 

The games were originally scheduled to be held at Sioux Falls Stadium but recent weather forced a reversal of sites. The Cougars dropped both games as they struggled at preventing big innings by the Beavers, which now has won seven straight over USF and own a 15-11 all-time series lead. In the opening weekend of conference play, MiSU also received solid starts in both games and used the big innings along while taking advantage of 11 walks, four hit batsmen and three USF errors. USF finished the doubleheader with just eight hits and five total runs on offense.

USF and MiSU will conclude the three-game NSIC series with a single game at noon on Sunday.

G1 – Minot State 12 USF 2 (7 innings)
In the opener, Minot State jumped to a 6-0 lead after three innings and extended the advantage throughout the game against five USF pitchers as they won the NSIC opener, 12-2.
The Cougars were led on offense by designated hitter Zach Andreasen who had two of USF's six hits and added an RBI. Connor King, Grant Lung, Ryan Bernardy and Trey Hubers also supplied hits for the USF offense. USF scored both of its runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

MiSU, which had 14 hits, improved to 3-3 and dealt USF its first loss of the season in the 12-2 decision. MiSU scored two runs in the second, added four in the fourth inning, then scored in the sixth inning followed by five in the seventh inning.

Krout (1-1), who threw 77 pitches, took the loss for USF as he allowed six runs on eight hits with three strikeouts in working 3 1/3 innings.

Drew Behling led the MiSU offensive attack with four hits, including a home run double and a triple, and had five RBI. RJ Martinez (2-0) tossed a complete game and allowed just six hits and two runs to the Cougars. In throwing 98 pitches, he registered 10 strikeouts. 

MiSU jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning and then added four runs in the fourth inning. USF replaced starter Alex Krout with Payton Livingston (1/3, hit) and Drew Leonard (2/3, hit) in the fourth inning. Alex Bertram worked 1 2/3 innings and allowed a hit and a run with a strikeout and three walks. Isaac Frandsen pitched the seventh inning and gave up three hits and five runs with a walk.

In the seventh inning, Grant Lung and Ryan Bernardy singled with Lung scoring on Andreasen's RBI double. Bernardy later scored on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Cate.

G2 – Minot State 13 USF 3
Despite a solid start from Matt Graham, the Cougars dropped a 13-3 decision to MiSU in the second game. With the Beavers up 4-3, MiSU scored nine runs in the seventh inning and held USF to just two hits as the game ended by run rule.

In his second start of the season, Graham was solid except for two long balls from Jordan Williams, who had three home runs, four runs scored and six RBI to lead MiSU. Graham worked six innings and allowed five earned runs on just two hits but walked three with six strikeouts. Keenahn Coyle (2/3 inning, four runs, 0 earned runs, walk, K), Drew Leonard (0 innings, hit, 3 runs, 0 earned runs, 3 walks) and Payton Livingston (1/3, hit, K).

Aside from Williams, Gunner Kozlowitz had a three-run home run as MISU scored 13 runs on just six hits but had seven walks. USF pitchers struck out eight MiSU hitters.
USF's offense was led by Zane Butts with his two-run double and Grant Lung, who had the other hit. USF hitters struck out 14 times and just had three walks.

After Jordan Williams hit two-run home runs in the second and fourth inning, the Cougars rallied in the fifth inning. Zach Andreasen (reached on error), Jared Binsfield (HBP) and Trey Hubers (walk) loaded the bases before Zane Butts hit a two-run double to cut the lead to 4-2. Then, Tyler Blackburn's ground out RBI to shortstop trimmed the lead to 4-3.

However, USF was unable to pull into a tie and two innings later, Minot State exploded for nine runs on just four hits and five walks, an error and a passed ball. Williams hit his third home run of the game, which was one of three that MiSU hit during the game-changing inning.