Sioux Falls rallies for game one win, settles for split

The day had two very different scripts. In the opener, Sioux Falls shook off an early 3-0 deficit with a huge middle-inning surge and got a complete-game effort from Brady Baur to secure the win. In the second game, the Cougars again found themselves playing from behind, nearly erased a six-run deficit with a four-run eighth, but could not complete the comeback.

Brady Schafer starred across both games, delivering the go-ahead three-run homer in game one and driving in two more late in the nightcap, while Carson Jager and Cullen Verville were key table-setters in game two. The split moved Sioux Falls to 20-19 overall. Bemidji did enough offensively to steal the second contest, but the Cougars’ bats were the difference in game one.

USF piled up 14 runs on 22 hits across the day, including seven extra-base hits, though defensive miscues and baserunning mistakes kept the day from turning into a sweep. Even so, Sioux Falls found a way to salvage the split and close the weekend with a win in front of the home crowd. Final Score(s): Game one: Sioux Falls 8, Bemidji State 4 Game two: Bemidji State 8, Sioux Falls 6 Game One – How It Happened Bemidji State struck first on Jack Feldman’s leadoff homer in the top of the first, then added two more in the third when Hunter Hyden launched a two-run shot to right-center for a 3-0 lead.

The Cougars flipped the game in the bottom of the fourth. After Justin Johnson was hit by a pitch and Casey Sehr singled, Verville was plunked to load the bases. Nolan Drossel brought home the first two runs with a single through the right side, and after William Edwards followed with a single, Drew Miller ripped a two-run double to left-center to put USF on top 4-3.