SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The University of Sioux Falls Baseball team opened the NSIC Tournament in dominant fashion Wednesday afternoon, defeating Wayne State 9-1 in quarterfinal action at Ronken Field. Behind a strong outing from Brady Baur and a balanced offensive attack that featured three home runs, the Cougars controlled the game from the first inning and never looked back.
USF jumped out early and steadily added on throughout the afternoon, finishing with 13 hits while holding Wayne State to just five. Baur set the tone on the mound, tossing seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts, while Dominic Vogel, Mitch Iliff and Cullen Verville each delivered home runs to pace the offense.
Final Score
- Sioux Falls 9, Wayne State 1
How It Happened
The Cougars wasted no time getting on the board. In the bottom of the first, William Edwards reached and Mitch Iliff followed with a towering two-run home run down the left field line, giving USF a quick 2-0 advantage.
Baur was sharp from the outset, working efficiently through the first three innings while allowing minimal traffic. His command kept Wayne State off balance as he racked up strikeouts and induced weak contact.
USF added to its lead in the third inning with another well-executed offensive sequence. Iliff reached and later came around to score on a Justin Johnson single up the middle. Moments later, Casey Sehr ripped a double down the left field line, driving in Johnson and pushing the lead to 4-0.
The Cougars continued to apply pressure in the sixth inning. Sehr reached and Dominic Vogel delivered an RBI single up the middle, later advancing into scoring position. Edwards followed with a base hit to left, bringing Vogel home and extending the lead to 6-0.
Meanwhile, Baur continued to cruise, scattering four hits across seven shutout innings while striking out eight and working out of the few jams he faced.
Wayne State broke through in the eighth inning, scoring an unearned run to cut the deficit to 6-1, but any momentum was quickly erased.
In the bottom half of the inning, Cullen Verville launched a solo home run to left field to make it 7-1. Just a few batters later, Vogel added the exclamation point with a two-run blast to left, scoring Nolan Drossel and stretching the lead to 9-1.
Eli Larson closed out the final two innings on the mound, allowing just one run while striking out two to secure the victory.
On the Mound
Starting pitcher: Brady Baur delivered a dominant outing, going 7.0 innings while allowing four hits and no runs with two walks and eight strikeouts.
Decision: Baur earned the win, improving to 6-3 on the season.
Bullpen impact: Eli Larson provided a steady finish, tossing the final two innings while allowing just one unearned run.
Notable pitching moments: Baur's ability to control the game early set the tone, and he worked efficiently through seven innings with eight strikeouts.
At the Plate
Multi-hit games: Dominic Vogel, William Edwards, Mitch Iliff, Brady Schafer and Cullen Verville each recorded multiple hits.
Extra-base hits: Casey Sehr doubled, while Iliff, Verville and Vogel each hit home runs.
RBIs: Vogel led the way with three RBIs, Iliff added two, while Edwards, Johnson, Sehr and Verville each drove in runs.
Clutch situations: Iliff's first-inning home run set the tone early, while the Cougars added insurance with key hits in the third and sixth innings.
Team totals: USF totaled 13 hits and nine runs, drawing three walks and consistently putting pressure on Wayne State pitching.
Up Next
The Cougars advance to face No. 1 seed Augustana on Thursday, May 7 at 3:30 p.m. at Ronken Field in Sioux Falls, S.D., in semifinal action of the NSIC Tournament.
Tournament details will be available HERE.
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