BROOKINGS, S.D. (KELO) — South Dakota State put together two big innings and went on to defeat Northwestern College (Iowa), 19-11, in college baseball action Tuesday afternoon.

Playing for the first time at Erv Huether Field this season, the Jackrabbits ran their winning streak to seven games in improving to 14-17. NWC dropped to 18-22 overall in the nonconference matchup.

SDSU broke a scoreless deadlock with an 11-run bottom of the fourth inning, sending 14 men to the plate. Reece Anderson plated the opening run with the first of his two run-scoring singles in the inning and Nic Nelson followed two batters later with a two-run single to deep left center.

The Jackrabbit lead grew to 6-0 on a three-run home run by Dawson Parry and Ryan McDonald added a two-run blast to cap the inning. McDonald, who entered the day leading all Division I players with a .933 slugging percentage, homered for the fifth game in a row and 16th time this season. Thatcher Kozal added an RBI triple and freshman Matthew Werk knocked in another run with a sacrifice fly.

Northwestern, however, scored 10 of the game’s next 11 runs with three runs in the sixth inning and seven in the top of the seventh. Drew Dykstra drove in the first two runs for the Red Raiders with a double and T.J. Silliman added an RBI single. Mason Porepp, who was 3-for-4, connected on a three-run homer in the seventh and a pair of Jackrabbit errors led to four more runs as Northwestern drew to within 12-10.

SDSU put the game out of reach once and for all with a six-run home half of the seventh that was highlighted by Nelson’s second grand slam and seventh home run of the season. Nelson was 3-for-6 en route to a career-high six RBIs and Drew Beazley went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles for a Jackrabbit squad that held a 17-9 advantage in hits.

Four Jackrabbit pitchers combined to strike out 15 batters. Freshman starter Will Kent fanned five in three-plus scoreless innings before exiting after being hit by a batted ball on his throwing arm. Jordan Sagedahl followed with four strikeouts over three innings, while Dylan Driessen (one strikeout) and Jack Kruger (five strikeouts) combined to pitch the final three frames.

Northwestern starter Brad Tornow pitched three shutout innings to lead the Red Raiders on the mound.

UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits continue their homestand by hosting Waldorf (Iowa) at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

NOTES

  • The Jackrabbits lead the all-time series, 6-0, but Tuesday’s game marked the first meeting between the two programs since 1994
  • SDSU has outscored the opposition, 94-39, and hit 27 home runs during its seven-game winning streak
  • The Jackrabbits have hit five grand slams this season
  • Before Tuesday, the last time the Jackrabbits put a double-digit run total on the board in a single inning was April 14, 2015, versus North Dakota (also 11 runs in fourth inning)
  • McDonald took over sole possession of fourth place on the SDSU career home run chart with 34, breaking a time with Jon Crow (33 home runs from 1989-92)
  • McDonald’s 16 home runs are tied with four other players for fourth on the Jackrabbit single-season list
  • Beazley moved into a tie with Doug Sehr (1991-94) for ninth place on the Jackrabbit career doubles chart with 46
  • Luke Ira extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a pair of singles
  • Nelson has reached base safely in 20 consecutive games