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University of Sioux Falls Athletics

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Scoreboard

Cullen Verville lays down a bunt
Jurgens Photography
3
Sioux Falls USF 10-11
4
Winner Northern State NSU 7-10
Sioux Falls USF
10-11
3
Final
4
Northern State NSU
7-10
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Sioux Falls USF 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 3 10 0
Northern State NSU 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 X 4 9 0

W: Price, E. (1-0) L: Larson, Eli (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Clint Neumann

Cougars Drop Tight Battle to Northern State

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The University of Sioux Falls baseball team battled through a tight, back-and-forth contest Sunday afternoon but ultimately came up just short, falling 4-3 to Northern State at Sioux Falls Stadium. In a game defined by timely hitting and strong pitching on both sides, the Cougars erased an early deficit before the Wolves delivered a late go-ahead run to secure the series finale.

Sioux Falls (10-11) outhit Northern State 10-9 and showed consistent offensive pressure throughout the middle innings, highlighted by a multi-hit day from Brady Schafer and Drew Miller. Owen Weadge was strong in his start, striking out 12 over 5.1 innings, but a seventh-inning equalizer and an eighth-inning RBI proved to be the difference as Northern State (7-10) escaped with the win.

Final Score

  • Game One: Northern State 4, Sioux Falls 3

How It Happened

Northern State wasted no time jumping out to an early lead in the opening inning, using a two-run home run to take a 2-0 advantage before the Cougars could settle in defensively. Despite the early setback, Weadge regrouped and dominated over the next several innings, striking out multiple batters in key spots to keep the Wolves from extending their lead.

Sioux Falls threatened early, putting runners in scoring position in both the second and fourth innings, but were unable to capitalize. The breakthrough finally came in the fifth inning, when the Cougars strung together quality at-bats to even the score. Schafer delivered a clutch RBI double to bring home the first run, and Justin Johnson followed with another RBI knock to tie the game at 2-2.

Momentum continued to build for USF in the sixth inning. After back-to-back singles from Miller and Casey Sehr set the table, Cullen Verville dropped down a bunt single to load the bases. Nolan Drossel then lifted a sacrifice fly to give the Cougars their first lead of the day at 3-2.

Northern State answered in the seventh inning, capitalizing on a leadoff baserunner and a well-placed extra-base hit to even the game once again at 3-3. The Wolves carried that momentum into the eighth, where a pair of hits set up the go-ahead RBI that ultimately stood as the game-winning run.

Sioux Falls had opportunities late, including a baserunner in the eighth and a final push in the ninth, but Northern State's bullpen closed the door to secure the 4-3 decision.

On the Mound

  • Starting pitcher: Owen Weadge (5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 12 K)
  • Decision: Loss – Eli Larson (0-1)
  • Bullpen impact: Larson and Cooper Sanders combined for 3.2 innings, allowing two runs while keeping the Cougars within striking distance
  • Notable pitching moments: Weadge recorded 12 strikeouts and retired several key hitters in high-leverage situations after the first inning

At the Plate

  • Multi-hit games: Brady Schafer (2), Drew Miller (2), Casey Sehr (2)
  • Extra-base hits: Schafer (2B), Johnson (2B), Miller (2B), Sehr (2B)
  • RBIs: Schafer (1), Johnson (1), Drossel (1)
  • Clutch situations: USF tied the game in the fifth with two-out hitting and took the lead in the sixth with a sacrifice fly
  • Team totals: 10 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, 5 hit by pitch, 12 left on base

Coach's Corner

"Was a tough loss. Had our chances. Owen did a great job of settling in and getting us some zeros after giving up a couple in the first inning. But our offense couldn't capitalize on the numerous chances we had throughout the game. Bases loaded with one out and we don't score. Leadoff double and we don't score. Our situational hitting was not good and it cost us the game. You can't take games off in this league. Anybody can beat anybody on any given day. We'll watch video tomorrow and try to learn from our mistakes and then get ready for our game on Tuesday against Augie."
- Head Coach Grant Hieb
 

Up Next

The Cougars turn their attention to a midweek rivalry matchup against Augustana on Tuesday, March 24th at 4:00 PM at Ronken Field in Sioux Falls. USF will then resume conference play with a weekend series at home against Minnesota Duluth on Saturday, March 28th and Sunday, March 29th.

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