WAYNE, Neb. – The University of Sioux Falls baseball team dropped both ends of Wednesday's NSIC road doubleheader at Wayne State, falling 7-4 in game one before a 5-1 setback in game two at Pete Chapman Complex.

The opener turned on one big inning, as the Cougars built a 4-0 lead through four frames before Wayne State answered with a six-run fifth to swing the game. In the nightcap, Sioux Falls was locked in another tight, low-scoring battle, but the Wildcats used a two-run third and continued to add on while holding the Cougar offense to just two hits. Brady Schafer's early two-run homer highlighted game one, while Justin Johnson accounted for USF's lone run in game two with an RBI double.

Despite the sweep, the Cougars got solid starting efforts from Owen Weadge and Carter Sehr, with both keeping Sioux Falls within striking distance through the early innings. USF also continued to get on base, drawing 10 walks and producing eight hits over the doubleheader, but timely offense proved hard to come by late as Wayne State's bullpen and defense closed the door.

Final Score(s):

• Game one: Wayne State 7, Sioux Falls 4
• Game two: Wayne State 5, Sioux Falls 1

Game One – How It Happened

Sioux Falls broke through first in the second inning of the opener. Drew Miller opened the frame with a single before Brady Schafer sent a two-run homer down the right-field line to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead. USF added another in the third when William Edwards and Mitch Iliff were both hit by pitches, Miller worked a walk, and Justin Johnson rolled an RBI groundout to short.

The Cougars stretched the lead to 4-0 in the fourth. Cullen Verville singled to open the inning, Nolan Drossel followed with a bunt single, and after Dominic Vogel fouled out trying to move the runners, Edwards drew a walk to load the bases. Iliff then worked a four-pitch walk to force in a run.

Wayne State got on the board in the bottom of the fourth on a solo homer, but Weadge limited the damage there and carried the lead into the fifth. That inning, however, changed the game.

A leadoff walk and single put immediate pressure on the Cougar staff before a two-run double to left-center to cut the lead to one. After a strikeout and walk, the Wildcats turned the game around with a three-run homer down the right-field line. Wayne State later added an unearned run on a USF error and an RBI single, capping a six-run inning that pushed the Wildcats in front 7-4.

From there, the Wayne State bullpen took over. They quieted the Cougar lineup across the final three innings, allowing just two hits and no runs. USF put a runner aboard in the seventh after Schafer singled, but a game-ending double play erased the final chance.

Game One – On the Mound

• Starting pitcher: Owen Weadge — 4.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
• Decision: Eli Larson (L, 1-2)
• Bullpen impact: Larson worked the final two innings, but Wayne State's five-run burst after he entered in the fifth created the difference.
• Notable pitching moments: Weadge stranded traffic in both the first and third innings, while Larson struck out three over two innings despite the decisive fifth-frame damage.

Game One – At the Plate

• Multi-hit games: Schafer (2-for-4), Drossel (2-for-2)
• Extra-base hits: Schafer (HR)
• RBIs: Schafer (2), Johnson, Iliff
• Clutch situations: USF scored in each of the second, third and fourth innings, using Schafer's two-run shot and Iliff's bases-loaded walk to build the early 4-0 cushion.
• Team totals: 6 hits, 4 runs, 5 walks, 2 hit by pitch, 9 left on base

Game Two – How It Happened

The second game had the feel of a pitcher's duel early, with Carter Sehr and Wayne State starter Clement Febus matching zeros through the first inning. USF struck first in the second when Brady Schafer drew a walk and Johnson drove him home with a double to right-center.

That 1-0 edge held until the third, when Wayne State capitalized with two outs. The Wildcats had two doubles before an RBI single through the left side gave the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.

Wayne State added another in the fourth. A walk, single and another free pass loaded the bases before a hit by a pitch forced in a run and make it 3-1.

The Cougars had chances to answer but could not deliver the timely hit. Edwards walked in the fifth with Iliff adding a single, but USF left both aboard. In the seventh, Verville drew a two-out walk and moved into scoring position, but Iliff was called out on strikes to end the threat.

Meanwhile, Wayne State kept adding small insurance runs. A solo home run to lead off the sixth, and the Wildcats manufactured another in the eighth with a walk, sacrifice bunt, stolen base and before a sacrifice fly wrapped up the scoring at 5-1.

USF's offense never recovered, managing just two hits in the game and none after Iliff's fifth-inning single. Wayne State's staff of Febus combined to hold the Cougars scoreless over the final seven innings and finish off the sweep.

Game Two – On the Mound

• Starting pitcher: Carter Sehr — 3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
• Decision: Sehr (L, 1-2)
• Bullpen impact: Tyler Maeyaert gave USF 2.2 innings with one run allowed and three strikeouts, while Cooper Sanders and Zach Peta combined to cover the late innings.
• Notable pitching moments: Maeyaert escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth after entering in relief, and Sanders worked 1.2 innings before the Wildcats manufactured an eighth-inning insurance run.

Game Two – At the Plate

• Multi-hit games: None
• Extra-base hits: Johnson (2B)
• RBIs: Johnson
• Clutch situations: Johnson's second-inning RBI double plated Schafer for the Cougars' only run, but USF was unable to capitalize on later chances with runners aboard.
• Team totals: 2 hits, 1 run, 5 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 7 left on base

Key Cougars (Day Leaders)

• Brady Schafer — Hit a two-run homer in game one and scored the lone run in game two.
• Nolan Drossel — Went 2-for-2 in the opener and helped spark multiple early scoring chances.
• Owen Weadge — Held Wayne State to two hits through four innings and gave the Cougars a chance to build an early lead in game one.
• Justin Johnson — Drove in a run in each game, including the Cougars' only RBI in the second contest.

Coach's Corner

"A couple of tough losses today. We got up on 'em in the first game but just couldn't put 'em away. Had opportunities to blow it open but couldn't get it done & let 'em hang around & they took advantage & pulled it out…In the second game we couldn't get nothing going offensively & it showed with us only being able to push across one run. Give their pitchers credit, they did a good job of getting out of a few jams & made pitches when they needed to. Hopefully we get another crack at them in the conference tourney."
– Head Coach Grant Hieb

Up Next

The Cougars return home this weekend for a three-game NSIC series against Bemidji State at Sioux Falls Stadium. USF and the Beavers will open with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 18 at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., before closing the series on Sunday, April 19 with a 12:00 p.m. first pitch.

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