SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The University of Sioux Falls baseball team split a dramatic Tuesday doubleheader with (RV) Minnesota State at Sioux Falls Stadium, falling 13-6 in the opener before answering with a stirring 10-8 walk-off win in game two. The Cougars showed resilience throughout the afternoon, weathering a tough first game before erasing an early four-run deficit in the nightcap and delivering the final blow on Jackson Yeager's three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth.

After a difficult defensive and pitching game in the opener, Sioux Falls responded with one of its grittier wins of the season in game two. Mitch Iliff powered the offense with a five-hit day across the twinbill, while Drew Miller and Casey Sehr continued to set the table in key spots. In the second game, the Cougars matched Minnesota State's early firepower, stayed within striking distance through the middle innings, and finally broke through in the ninth to send the home crowd out with a memorable finish.

Final Score(s):

• Game one: (RV) Minnesota State 13, Sioux Falls 6
• Game two: Sioux Falls 10, (RV) Minnesota State 8

Game One – How It Happened

Minnesota State came out swinging in the opener and put Sioux Falls in an immediate hole. A leadoff home run in the first inning started the scoring, and the Mavericks added three more in the second on a triple and timely situational hitting to build a 4-0 lead.

The Cougars finally got on the board in the third when Myles Rees launched a solo home run to right-center. Later in the inning, Nolan Drossel doubled and came around on a sequence that nearly produced more, but Sioux Falls could not fully capitalize.

Minnesota State answered again in the fourth, using a two-run triple to stretch the margin to 7-1. Sioux Falls chipped away in the bottom half when Mitch Iliff doubled and later scored on Brady Schafer's RBI groundout. Justin Johnson then walked and Drew Miller followed with a run-scoring double, cutting the deficit to 7-3.

The Cougars kept pushing in the fifth. Carson Jager, who had entered in right field, doubled down the left-field line, and Miller later delivered another two-run double to make it 7-5 and give Sioux Falls real life.

That momentum, however, faded in the top of the sixth. Minnesota State took advantage of an error and a pair of key singles to score two more, then broke the game open in the seventh with a three-run homer followed by a solo shot. Iliff tripled and scored on Schafer's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh, but by then the Mavericks had created enough separation to finish off the 13-6 win.

Game One – On the Mound

• Starting pitcher: Taylor Morrissette — 3.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
• Decision: Loss — Morrissette (0-2)
• Bullpen impact: Carter Sehr, Jack Richeson, Riley Schilling, and Reid Barnard combined to cover the final four innings, with Barnard finishing the game with a scoreless frame and two strikeouts
• Notable pitching moments: Minnesota State's lineup capitalized on 13 walks and several defensive miscues, making it difficult for Sioux Falls to string together shutdown innings

Game One – At the Plate

• Multi-hit games: Mitch Iliff (2-for-3), Drew Miller (2-for-4)
• Extra-base hits: Jager (double), Iliff (double, triple), Schafer (double), Miller (two doubles), Drossel (double)
• RBIs: Schafer (2), Miller (2), Rees (1), Drossel (1)
• Clutch situations: Rees' third-inning homer got USF started, while Miller's two RBI doubles helped trim the margin in the middle innings
• Team totals: 8 hits, 6 runs, 2 walks, 3 hit by pitch, 6 left on base

Game Two – How It Happened

The nightcap looked like it might follow a similar script early. Minnesota State struck for four runs in the top of the first on a pair of two-run home runs, immediately putting Sioux Falls behind 4-0.

This time, the Cougars punched right back. Dominic Vogel and William Edwards opened the bottom of the first with singles, and after Iliff was hit by a pitch, Brady Schafer lifted a sacrifice fly to score the first run. Drew Miller added an RBI single, Jackson Yeager brought home another run on a groundout, and Cullen Verville lined a single to right to even the game at 4-4 before the inning was over.

Minnesota State reclaimed the lead in the third on another home run, then pushed it to 7-4 on a two-run shot in the same frame. After the Mavericks added another solo homer in the fourth, Sioux Falls trailed 8-4 and again needed a response.

That answer came quickly in the bottom of the fourth. Casey Sehr doubled and moved into scoring position before Iliff crushed a three-run homer to right-center, trimming the deficit to 8-7 and completely flipping the pressure back onto Minnesota State.

From there, the Sioux Falls bullpen settled in. Eli Larson provided 2.2 innings of solid relief, Cooper Sanders bridged into the eighth, Myles Rees worked out of a threat, and Zach Peta came on in the ninth and helped keep the Mavericks scoreless.

The Cougars left a few opportunities on the table in the sixth, seventh, and eighth, but finally broke through in the ninth. Carson Jager got things started with a single, Jhett Peterson entered as a pinch runner, and Miller was hit by a pitch to put two aboard. With one swing, Yeager changed everything, launching a three-run homer to right field and sending Sioux Falls to a 10-8 walk-off victory.

Game Two – On the Mound

• Starting pitcher: Jake Pruchniak — 3.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• Decision: Win — Zach Peta (2-0)
• Bullpen impact: Larson (2.2 IP, 1 ER), Sanders (1.1 IP, 0 ER), Rees (1.0 IP, 0 ER), and Peta (1.0 IP, 0 ER) combined to keep Minnesota State scoreless over the final five innings
• Notable pitching moments: After the Mavericks scored eight runs in the first four innings, the Sioux Falls bullpen locked the game down and gave the offense time to rally

Game Two – At the Plate

• Multi-hit games: Iliff (2-for-4), Schafer (2-for-3), Sehr (2-for-4), Yeager (2-for-5)
• Extra-base hits: Iliff (home run), Sehr (double), Yeager (home run)
• RBIs: Yeager (4), Iliff (3), Verville (1), Miller (1), Schafer (1)
• Clutch situations: Sioux Falls answered Minnesota State's four-run first with four of its own, then erased an 8-4 deficit on Iliff's three-run homer before Yeager's walk-off blast in the ninth
• Team totals: 14 hits, 10 runs, 2 walks, 2 hit by pitch, 7 left on base

Key Cougars (Day Leaders)

• Mitch Iliff — Collected five hits across the doubleheader, including a three-run homer in game two and two extra-base hits in the opener
• Jackson Yeager — Came through with the biggest swing of the day, blasting the walk-off three-run homer in the ninth inning of game two
• Drew Miller — Delivered key run production in both games and continued to be a steady offensive presence in the middle of the lineup
• Casey Sehr — Reached base and produced timely offense in the nightcap, helping set the stage for the comeback
• Zach Peta — Earned the game-two win after another strong late-inning appearance

Coach's Corner

"It was great to see the boys bounce back after a tough first game. We didn't play well defensively and they took advantage of our miscues in game one. But to get punched in the mouth in the top of the first with a four-spot and come right back and tie it up was huge. I was glad to see the team keep fighting and give ourselves a chance to make the late comeback. We let some chances get away from us in the middle to late innings, but Yeager came up huge with the walk-off three-run shot to win it. I love the fight and the way we battled in game two. We need to keep this momentum going in our series this weekend against CSP."
– Head Coach Grant Hieb

Up Next

The Cougars turn their attention to more NSIC play this weekend as they take on Concordia-St. Paul beginning Friday, April 3, and continuing Saturday, April 4 at Reynolds Field in St. Paul, Minnesota. Sioux Falls will look to carry Tuesday's late-game momentum into another important conference series.

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