University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
3-7
South Dakota State
2-6
Gophers Comeback Attempt Thwarted by SDSU
3/2/2022 9:25:00 PM | Baseball
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Gophers suffered a 7-5 setback to South Dakota State on Wednesday night at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Gophers laced 13 hits, including four for extra bases, but could not generate enough runs to complete the comeback attempt after falling behind 5-0 after the first half inning.
Sophomore second baseman Boston Merila and redshirt senior right fielder Easton Bertrand paced the offense with three hits each while Jack Kelly and Ronnie Sweeny both tallied a pair. Sweeny homered for the third time this season and for the second straight game.
South Dakota State (2-6) jumped out of the gates fast, scoring five runs in the top of the first inning off Minnesota starter Richie Holetz (0-2). A three-run blast to left field by Jackrabbits designated hitter Drew Beazley spearheaded the hot start and gave the visitors a commanding lead early.
The Gophers would get one back in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by Jack Kelly. After a sac fly plated another SDSU run in the top of the second, Sweeny belted his second home run in as many nights to left field to get the Gophers back to within 6-2.
After scoreless third and fourth innings from both teams, the Jackrabbits added another in the top of the fifth on a two-out single before the Gophers answered back with one after Jack Kelly tripled and scored on a wild pitch.
Minnesota would add one back in the seventh and eighth innings to cut the deficit in half from 7-3 to 7-5. Merila scored on a wild pitch in the seventh while Drew Stahl drove in Bertrand with an RBI groundout in the eighth.
The Gophers would get no closer, going down 1-2-3 in the ninth inning to fall, 7-5, and settle for a 1-1 split in their first two midweek contests.
SDSU was led by catcher Derek Hackman (3-for-4) and DH Drew Beazley (2-for-5), who combined for five hits, five RBI and a home run.
Minnesota used five different pitchers on Wednesday who combined to give up seven runs (six earned) and 11 hits. Holetz (0-2) gave up six earned runs, allowing four hits and hitting three batters while striking out two in his one-plus inning of work. Seth Clausen (2.0 innings), Sam Malec (2.0) and Tom Skoro (1.1) combined to strike out seven and give up six hits and one run in the middle five innings.
Will Semb entered in the top of the seventh with one out and men on second and third. He struck out the first batter before the second lined out to third to end the inning. He pitched a perfect eighth inning while Josh Culliver came in and held the Jackrabbits scoreless in the ninth.
NEXT UP:
Minnesota hosts West Virginia 7 p.m. on Friday, March 4 to kick off the Cambria College Classic at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Arbogast (1-0)
L: Holetz, Richie (0-2)
S: Barnett (1)
Batting:
2B: George 2 ; Hackman 1
HR: Beazley 1
RBI: Hackman 2 ; Berg 1 ; Beazley 3 ; Parry 1
SH: Mellman 1
SF: Hackman 1
Base Running:
RUNS: George 2 ; Ira 1 ; Nelson 1 ; Hackman 1 ; Berg 1 ; Beazley 1
HBP: Ira 1 ; Nelson 1 ; Parry 1
Batting:
2B: Stanke, Chase 1 ; Bork, Kyle 1 ; Bertrand, Easton 1
3B: Kelly, Jack 1
HR: Sweeny, Ronald 1
RBI: Kelly, Jack 1 ; Sweeny, Ronald 1 ; Stahl, Drew 1
SF: Kelly, Jack 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Merila, Boston 2 ; Kelly, Jack 1 ; Sweeny, Ronald 1 ; Bertrand, Easton 1
SB: Bertrand, Easton 1 ; Wilhite, Andrew 1
CS: Bertrand, Easton 1
HBP: Bertrand, Easton 1
