ST. GEORGE, Kan. – The University of Sioux Falls baseball team opened its four-game series with the University of Mary on Monday with a split, bouncing back from a tough, late 3-2 setback in game one with a 6-2 win in the nightcap at Rock Creek High School. The Cougars got elite swing-and-miss stuff from Jake Ammann in the opener and timely extra-base damage from William Edwards and Mitch Iliff in game two, evening the day and moving to 2-4 overall.

USF's pitching staff set the tone across both games, combining for 22 strikeouts while limiting the Marauders to just six runs on 10 hits. The difference came in the margins—Mary capitalized on a late wild pitch to steal game one, while the Cougars delivered their biggest swings in game two, including Edwards' two-run double and Iliff's two-run home run, to take control early and build separation.

Final Score(s):

• University of Mary 3, Sioux Falls 2
• Sioux Falls 6, University of Mary 2

Game One vs University of Mary

How It Happened

Sioux Falls struck first in the top of the first and nearly had a bigger inning. Dominic Vogel opened with a walk and Mitch Iliff was hit by a pitch to put two aboard. After a strikeout, Brady Schafer singled to right to load the bases, but an aggressive send at the plate ended with Vogel being thrown out at home. The Cougars still cashed in moments later when William Edwards singled to center to drive in Iliff for a 1-0 lead.

Ammann settled in and kept Mary quiet early, but the game flipped in the bottom of the third on two unearned runs. A double put the tying run in scoring position, and an error brought home the first run. Another miscue extended the inning and allowed Mary to take a 2-1 advantage.

USF answered in the fifth in an unusual but effective way. Nolan Drossel was hit by a pitch to put pressure on the bases. Vogel singled through the right side to move Drossel to third, and while Vogel was caught stealing in a rundown, Drossel crossed the plate to tie the game at 2-2.

From there, Ammann took over. The right-hander worked deep and continued to pile up strikeouts, and USF created a few late chances—Daniel Estrada doubled in the seventh and Iliff worked a walk in the eighth—but the Cougars couldn't push across the go-ahead run.

Mary finally broke the tie in the bottom of the eighth. Two walks and aggressive baserunning created a scoring opportunity, and a wild pitch brought home the deciding run to make it 3-2.

On the Mound

Starting pitcher: Jake Ammann – 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 13 K
Decision: Loss – Taylor Morrissette (0-1)
Bullpen impact: Morrissette was tagged with the loss after the go-ahead run scored in the eighth.
Notable pitching moments: Ammann struck out 13 and did not allow an earned run, keeping the Marauders limited to three hits through seven innings.

At the Plate

Extra-base hits: Daniel Estrada (double)
RBIs: William Edwards (1)
Clutch situations: Edwards' first-inning RBI single gave USF the early lead; the tying run scored in the fifth after USF created pressure with baserunners.
Team totals: 6 hits, 2 walks, 3 hit-by-pitches, 2 errors, 5 left on base

Game Two vs University of Mary

How It Happened

The nightcap opened scoreless, but USF grabbed control in the third with its first big swing of the game. Nolan Drossel singled and Dominic Vogel followed with a single up the middle to put runners at the corners. William Edwards delivered the breakthrough—rifling a two-run double to score both runners and give USF a 2-0 lead.

The Cougars added on in the fifth. Drossel worked a walk and moved into scoring position before Iliff crushed a two-run home run to extend the advantage to 4-0.

Mary pushed a run across in the bottom of the fifth, but USF answered immediately in the sixth with its most productive inning of the game. Colin Gibson singled and Daniel Estrada drew a walk to set the table, and after another free pass loaded the bases, the Cougars forced in a run and took advantage of an error to score two, pushing the lead to 6-1.

Mary added one run in the seventh on a double and another RBI double, but the Cougars closed the door to secure the win.

On the Mound

Starting pitcher: Brady Bauer – 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Decision: Win – Bauer (2-0)
Bullpen impact: Eli Larson provided 1.2 scoreless innings to bridge the middle, and Jake Pruchniak finished it off with the final frame while limiting the late threat.
Notable pitching moments: USF struck out nine and kept Mary from stringing together sustained rallies, using key outs with runners on in the fifth and seventh.

At the Plate

Multi-hit games: Mitch Iliff (2-for-4)
Extra-base hits: William Edwards (double), Mitch Iliff (home run)
RBIs: Edwards (2), Iliff (2), Nolan Drossel (1)
Clutch situations: Edwards' two-run double in the third opened the scoring; Iliff's two-run homer in the fifth created separation.
Team totals: 6 hits, 5 walks, 1 error, 5 left on base

Key Cougars (Day Standouts)

• Jake Ammann – Dominated in game one with 13 strikeouts over seven innings and did not allow an earned run.
• Mitch Iliff – Reached base consistently and delivered the game-changing two-run homer in game two.
• William Edwards – Produced in both games, including a first-inning RBI single in game one and a two-run double in game two.
• Nolan Drossel – Set the table repeatedly, scoring in game one and sparking rallies in game two.
• Eli Larson – Gave USF steady, scoreless relief in game two to help preserve the lead.

Coach's Corner

"Was happy to get out of there with a split today given the way we played the first game. Too many free bases- errors, pass balls, wild pitches, you name it, we did it. Also shot ourselves in the foot on the bases and when you're facing good pitching like Mary has, you can't afford to make those kind of mistakes. But was happy with the way my guys responded in the second game. Again, it helps to have good starting pitching, which we got both games from Jake and Brady, but the guys could have easily let that first game carry into the second one. We gave ourselves a chance to win the series tomorrow, and that's our goal. Hopefully we can put it altogether tomorrow and play our first clean game of the 2026 campaign."
– Head Coach Grant Hieb

Up Next

Sioux Falls continues its series with U-Mary on Tuesday, February 24 with a doubleheader in St. George, Kansas. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m., with game two to follow.

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