SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The University of Sioux Falls baseball team split its Saturday doubleheader with Minnesota Duluth at Sioux Falls Stadium, taking game one 9-3 before dropping the nightcap 10-3. The Cougars played one of their cleaner, more complete games of the season in the opener, pairing timely bunts, aggressive baserunning, and strong pitching to secure the win, but game two turned into a different story as free passes and a late Bulldogs surge swung the day.

Sioux Falls got a standout start from Jake Ammann in game one and a strong opening stretch in game two behind a two-run homer from William Edwards, but Minnesota Duluth took advantage of opportunities late in the second game to force the split. Drew Miller and Cullen Verville helped pace the Cougars offensively across the day, while Zach Peta turned in scoreless late work in both appearances. By day's end, USF had scored 12 runs on 14 hits, but the Bulldogs capitalized on 12 walks and hit batters in the nightcap to even the weekend series.

Final Score(s):

• Game one: Sioux Falls 9, Minnesota Duluth 3
• Game two: Minnesota Duluth 10, Sioux Falls 3

Game One – How It Happened

Sioux Falls came out with immediate pressure in the opener and capitalized on it right away. Dominic Vogel worked a leadoff walk, William Edwards followed with a single, and Mitch Iliff added another hit to load the bases. Brady Schafer lifted a sacrifice fly to score the first run, and a Minnesota Duluth throwing error followed by a wild pitch brought home a second run to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead before the Bulldogs could settle in.

Minnesota Duluth got one back in the second on a solo home run, but USF answered in the third. Iliff singled, Schafer walked, and Drew Miller ripped a two-run double to left to push the lead to 4-1.

The Bulldogs tightened things in the fourth with a pair of runs on back-to-back doubles and a sacrifice fly, but Sioux Falls again had an answer. In the bottom of the fourth, Cullen Verville reached and later scored when Minnesota Duluth misplayed a bunt attempt. Schafer added another sacrifice fly later in the inning to stretch the lead to 6-3.

The Cougars put the game away in the fifth. Miller reached and Casey Sehr got aboard, and after another Minnesota Duluth defensive miscue, Verville singled home a run. Vogel then reached on an error that allowed another run to score, and Edwards capped the rally with a sacrifice bunt that plated the ninth and final run.

That was more than enough for Ammann and Peta. Ammann worked through five innings, allowing three runs while limiting bigger damage, and Peta shut the door with two scoreless frames to finish the 9-3 win.

Game One – On the Mound

• Starting pitcher: Jake Ammann – 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• Decision: Win – Ammann (3-2); Save – Peta (1)
• Bullpen impact: Peta tossed 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out one
• Notable pitching moments: Sioux Falls held Minnesota Duluth to four hits total and kept the Bulldogs off the board over the final three innings

Game One – At the Plate

• Multi-hit games: Iliff (2-for-3), Verville (2-for-3)
• Extra-base hits: Miller (double)
• RBIs: Miller (2), Schafer (2), Verville (1), Edwards (1)
• Clutch situations: The Cougars scored in four different innings and repeatedly used bunts and productive outs to force Minnesota Duluth into mistakes
• Team totals: 7 hits, 9 runs, 5 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 7 left on base

Game Two – How It Happened

Minnesota Duluth struck first in the nightcap, using a first-inning RBI single to grab a 1-0 lead. Sioux Falls answered in the second with a well-executed inning of its own. Drew Miller and Verville singled, Daniel Estrada followed with another hit, and Casey Sehr's sacrifice fly tied the game at 1-1.

The Cougars then grabbed momentum in the third. Vogel was hit by a pitch, and Edwards launched a two-run homer to left to give USF a 3-1 lead.

Minnesota Duluth, however, slowly chipped away. The Bulldogs pulled even in the fourth after loading the bases and cashing in with a walk and an RBI single. From there, the game settled briefly into a pitchers' duel, with Eli Larson stranding runners in both the fourth and fifth to keep the score at 3-3.

The turning point came in the seventh. Minnesota Duluth loaded the bases again, and this time made Sioux Falls pay. A bases-loaded walk forced in the go-ahead run, and Gabe Richardson followed with a three-run double to break the game open and put the Bulldogs up 7-3.

Minnesota Duluth added three more in the eighth on an RBI double and a two-run homer to put the game out of reach, while Sioux Falls could not mount a late rally.

Game Two – On the Mound

• Starting pitcher: Brady Baur – 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
• Decision: Loss – Cooper Sanders (0-1)
• Bullpen impact: Larson gave Sioux Falls 3.0 solid innings of scoreless relief before the seventh-inning rally; Rees and Maeyaert finished the game
• Notable pitching moments: Larson helped keep the game tied through the middle innings, but Minnesota Duluth broke through with four runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth

Game Two – At the Plate

• Multi-hit games: Miller (3-for-4), Verville (2-for-3)
• Extra-base hits: Miller (double), Edwards (home run)
• RBIs: Edwards (2), Sehr (1)
• Clutch situations: Edwards' two-run homer in the third gave Sioux Falls a brief 3-1 edge before the Bulldogs rallied late
• Team totals: 7 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, 3 hit by pitch, 6 left on base

Key Cougars (Day Standouts)

• Zach Peta – Continued his strong late-inning form with 2.0 scoreless innings in game one and helped stabilize the staff over the course of the day
• Drew Miller – Drove in two runs in the opener and went 3-for-4 in game two to help pace the offense
• Cullen Verville – Collected four hits across the twinbill and consistently put pressure on the Bulldogs defense
• Jake Ammann – Earned the game-one win with five innings of work and kept Sioux Falls in command throughout the opener
• William Edwards – Delivered a two-run homer in game two and added a productive run-scoring bunt in game one
• Brady Schafer – Recorded two sacrifice flies and helped set the tone in the opener with productive at-bats

Coach's Corner

"It was big to get game one. We did a good job of getting some bunts down and forcing them to make plays throwing against a tough wind. Putting that pressure on their defense was huge and was a big part in getting us the win. Jake gave us another good start and Zach continues to pitch well for us in late-inning situations.

"Game two was a different story. We had a dozen free passes. You can't do that to an offense like Duluth's. Hats off to them, they chased Brady early and then got to our bullpen in the late innings. We had some blunders on the bases that didn't help our cause either. Hopefully we can bounce back tomorrow and take the series."
– Head Coach Grant Hieb

Up Next

The Cougars return to Sioux Falls Stadium for the series finale against Minnesota Duluth on Sunday, March 29 at 12:00 p.m. Sioux Falls will look to bounce back from the split and secure the weekend series before turning its attention to the rest of the NSIC slate.

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