University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
South Dakota State
Minnesota Tallies 14 Hits in Midweek Defeat
5/17/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Box Score: South Dakota 7, Minnesota 6 (10 inn.) 
The University of Minnesota baseball team recorded 14 hits in a 7-6 defeat at South Dakota State in 10 innings on Tuesday. The Gophers (33-16) fell on a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the 10th by the Jackrabbits (20-31).
The top six hitters in the lineup produced 13 of the 14 hits, including a team-high four from Dan Motl, which also serves as a new career benchmark for the senior. Motl reached base in all five of his at-bats and scored three times.
Matt Stemper matched a season and career-best mark with three hits and also got on base via a walk. Toby Hanson provided the pop in the lineup with a 2-for-5 performance at the dish that included a home run and an RBI single to tie the game in the top of the ninth.
Alex Boxwell also chimed in with a pair of base knocks.
Minnesota used five pitchers in the contest, started by Tim Shannon. The Hopkins, Minn. worked the opening 1.1 innings before Fred Manke relieved him for the next 3.0 frames of work. Jeff Fasching, Ty McDevitt and Brian Glowicki finished the remaining 5.0 innings and combined for nine strikeouts, including a season-best five from McDevitt.
The Gophers got on the board in their opening chance at the plate. Motl flashed a single to right and Boxwell then smacked a double and the throw in from the outfield bounced off the bag at first, which was enough to score Motl.
South Dakota State plated a pair of runs on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single to take the lead at 2-1 through one inning of play.
The Jackrabbits then scored three runs on as many hits, including two with two outs, to push the score line to 5-1 in favor of the home team.
Hanson brought the deficit down to three in the top of the fourth with a blast over the right field fence, marking the sophomore's fifth roundtripper of the season.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, Minnesota chipped away at the South Dakota State lead when Riley Smith drilled an RBI single through the right side of the infield to score Connor Schaefbauer from second base, who reached on a single and was advance on a base knock from Stemper.
The next inning, with the score at 5-3, the Gophers used the small ball to set up another scoring opportunity. After consecutive hits from Motl and Boxwell, Matt Fiedler laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third with one out. Hanson hit into a fielder's choice, but it was enough to score the speedy Motl from third to make it 5-4.
Down to their final three outs, the Maroon and Gold produced their best scoring output in an inning of the afternoon. Motl began with the leadoff single and was moved over by a bunt from Boxwell. Fiedler then stepped to the dish and hit a run-single with two strikes to center field to knot the game up at 5-5.
Fiedler then swiped second and was brought in the next batter as Hanson smacked a two-out single to give the road team a 6-5 lead.
The Jackrabbits tied the game back up in the bottom of the ninth and had the winning run on third with one out, but McDevitt buckled down to get the next two outs from strikeouts and send the game into extra innings.
In the 10th, the Gophers came up empty, despite having a man in scoring position. South Dakota State then worked a batter around the bases and eventually won the game on a squeeze bunt, 6-5.
Minnesota returns to action this week at home for the final regular season series against Ohio State. The opening two games of the series are set for Thursday and Friday, respectively, with first pitch slated for 6:30 p.m. both nights. Friday's duel with be featured on the Big Ten Network. The regular season finale is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday.
