SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - On a sunlit afternoon at Sioux Falls Stadium, the Cougars (27-25, 23-14 NSIC) carved out a defining moment in their season, sweeping the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs (23-21, 18-19 NSIC) in a doubleheader with 10-8 and 8-5 victories. Jaxon Haase stood at the heart of the story, his bat cracking three home runs across the two games, including a pivotal three-RBI blast in Game 1, propelling the Cougars to sole possession of third place in the NSIC with three games left before the postseason.
Game 1 Recap: Sioux Falls 10, Southwest Minnesota 8
Southwest Minnesota State struck first in the opening inning, as Evan Behn's single up the middle, coupled with a throwing error, sent Levi Lampert and Owen Latendresse racing home for a 2-0 lead. The Cougars, undeterred, answered swiftly. Mitch Iliff drew a walk, Ben Serie singled, and Haase stepped to the plate. With one swing, his three-run homer soared over the left-field wall, flipping the score to 3-2 and igniting the home crowd.
The second inning saw Sioux Falls widen the gap. Jackson Yeager walked, Noah Christenson singled, and Nolan Drossel laid down a bunt single, loading the bases. Iliff's sharp single drove in Christenson and Yeager, and Isaac Bonner followed with a two-RBI single, scoring Iliff and Drossel to make it 7-2. The Mustangs clawed back in the fourth, with Latendresse's fielder's choice, narrowing it to 7-3.
The Cougars' bats reignited in the sixth. Christenson was hit by a pitch, and Drossel singled. Dominic Vogel's single scored Christenson, Serie's fielder's choice brought Drossel home, and Bonner reached on a fielder's choice, advancing to second on a throwing error, allowing Vogel to score and pushing the lead to 10-3. The Mustangs mounted a furious seventh-inning rally, starting with Bantam's RBI double. Behn's single scored Bantam, Wheeler's sacrifice fly plated Cortez, and Tyler Froland's two-RBI double cut the gap to 10-8. But Jace Coleman took the mound, striking out one in a tense 0.1 innings to secure his fourth save, preserving the Cougars' victory.
Brady Baur earned the win (3-3), pitching 4.0 innings, allowing three runs on six hits with six strikeouts. Drossel led the offense, going 3-for-3 with two runs and a triple, while Haase's 2-for-4 day included three RBIs.
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Game 2 Recap: Sioux Falls 8, Southwest Minnesota 5
As the sun dipped lower, the Cougars carried their momentum into Game 2. The Mustangs drew first blood in the second. Behn singled, Nathan Wheeler was hit by a pitch, and a walk to Woitalla loaded the bases. Levi Lampert's walk forced in Behn, giving the Mustangs a 1-0 lead. Sioux Falls stayed quiet until the third, when Noah Christenson changed the game's tone. His solo homer to left field tied it at 1-1. Drossel reached on a fielding error, and Iliff walked. Isaac Bonner then ripped a triple to right-center, scoring Iliff and Drossel. Haase, ever the catalyst, crushed a two-run homer, plating Bonner and vaulting the Cougars to a 5-1 lead.
Haase wasn't done. In the fifth, he launched another solo homer to left, extending the lead to 6-1. The sixth brought more, as Drossel singled, stole second, and scored on Iliff's single to center, making it 7-1. The Mustangs stirred in the eighth, with Froland's groundout scoring Cortez and Hammrich's sacrifice fly bringing in Behn, trimming the score to 7-3. Sioux Falls answered in the eighth when Drossel reached on an error and scored on Iliff's groundout, pushing it to 8-3.
The Mustangs made a final push in the ninth. Latendresse doubled, and Bantam's single scored him. Wheeler's single drove in Bantam, closing it to 8-5. With runners on, Ben Serie, a do-it-all utility man, stepped to the mound. He induced a fly out in foul territory, stranding the tying run and earning his second save in a dramatic 0.1 innings, sealing the 8-5 win.
Dylan Immel earned the win (4-3), pitching 5.0 innings, allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts. Haase led the offense, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two homers, while Christenson added a 2-for-4 day with a homer.
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Up Next
The Cougars host the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears at Sioux Falls Stadium for a doubleheader on Friday, May 2, 2025, starting at 1:30 p.m., followed by a final game regular season game on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 12:00 p.m., which will also serve as Senior Day, as they aim to solidify their NSIC Tournament position.
