The Cougars (17-20, 13-10 NSIC) staged a dramatic ninth-inning comeback to defeat the Minot State Beavers (13-18, 8-15 NSIC) 4-3 at Corbett Field. Trailing 3-2 entering the final frame, Sioux Falls capitalized on timely hitting from Ben Serie and a sacrifice fly by Myles Rees to score two runs, while Serie's relief pitching sealed the victory in a tense finish.
Game Details
Sioux Falls struggled offensively for much of the game, held scoreless through four innings by Minot State's pitching staff. The Beavers took a 1-0 lead in the first on Owen Pegg's RBI double and extended it to 2-0 in the second with Seamus Kary's solo homer.
The Cougars broke through in the fifth, sparked by Noah Christenson's single and Ryan Gouldin's hit-by-pitch. After an error on Minot State's Matt Williamson, Dominic Vogel was able to score Christenson, and Serie's groundout brought in Gouldin, tying the game at 2-2 .Kary struck again in the sixth with an RBI double, pushing Minot State's advantage to 3-2.
The ninth inning proved decisive. Nolan Drossel drew a walk, and Mitch Iliff singled, with Frank Vogel pinch-running for Iliff. Serie then doubled to right, scoring Drossel to tie the game at 3-3 and advancing Vogel to third. Myles Rees lifted a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Vogel for a 4-3 lead. Isaac Bonner added a single and stole second, but the inning ended with Sioux Falls ahead.
Ben Serie took the mound in relief of starter Logan Anderson, who allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings. Serie (1-0) pitched three scoreless innings, surrendering just one hit and retiring the Beavers in order in the eighth before navigating a one-out single in the ninth to secure the win. Minot State's Alex Sauerbrei (0-1) took the loss, giving up two runs on three hits in the ninth.
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Up Next
The Cougars face Minot State in a doubleheader tomorrow, April 12, 2025, at Corbett Field in Minot, N.D., with games beginning at noon.
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