Jacks take opener in Colorado

Friday, March 23

Greeley, Colo.

4:00 PM

South Dakota State University

Northern Colorado

3/23/2012 10:49:00 PM | Baseball

By: SDSU Sports Info

GREELEY, Colo. - Aaron Machbitz drove in four runs and Stephen Bougher pitched seven strong innings to record his third consecutive victory as the South Dakota State University baseball team opened a four-game series with a 10-5 victory over Northern Colorado Friday afternoon.

The Jackrabbits improved to 5-10-1 overall, while UNC dropped to 6-10. The two teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader Saturday starting at noon Mountain Time at Jackson Field. A seven-inning game will be followed by a nine-inning contest.

The Bears drew first blood with a two-out rally in the home half of the first. After Adrian Hilker extended the inning with a base hit, Adrian Schenk followed with a run-scoring triple down the right-field line.

SDSU tied the game in the top of the third on a solo home run by the team's leading hitter on the season, Andrew Melton.

UNC regained the lead by scoring twice in the bottom of the third. Leadoff hitter Jensen Park tripled to center field and scored on a groundout. Schenk, who was 3-for-3 in the game, followed two batters later with a double and scored on a Jackrabbit error.

The Jackrabbits grabbed the lead for good with a four-run fourth inning. Machbitz doubled in the first two runs of the frame and Daniel Marra added a two-run single to chase UNC starter Eian Raeber.

The Bears drew within 5-4 with a run in the fifth as Schenk scored after his second triple of the game, but SDSU scored in each of its last four at-bats. Zach Briggs led off the sixth with a double and scored on Machbitz's first home run of the season, a shot to left field.

Eric Cain factored in each of the Jackrabbits' runs in the seventh and eighth innings. In the seventh, Cain led off with a triple and scored on a base hit to center by Phil Paquette. With two outs in the eighth, Cain singled, stole second and scored on pinch hitter Eric Danforth's single through the right side.

Cain, Marchbitz, Marra and Paquette each tallied two of the Jackrabbits' 12 hits.

Bougher, the reigning Summit League Pitcher of the week, allowed seven hits, walked four and struck out four in improving to 3-2 on the season. Austin Busse pitched the final two innings for the Jackrabbits.

NOTES: The Jackrabbits improved to 26-12 all-time against Northern Colorado ... SDSU has won five games in a row in the series and 16 of the last 21 ... Machbitz's four RBI were a single-game career high ... Marra has reached base safely in all 16 games this season ... the Jackrabbits hit two home runs in a game for the third time this season ... Bougher entered the game with a streak of 16 scoreless innings

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 10, NORTHERN COLORADO 5
SDSU 001 402 111 10-12-2
UNC 102 010 010 5-9-3
SDSU: Stephen Bougher, Austin Busse (8) and Zach Briggs. UNC: Eian Raeber, Josh Tinnon (4), Cameron Tallman (7) and Derek Baum.
W-Bougher (3-2). L-Raeber (1-1). Save-none.
HR: SDSU-Andrew Melton (2), Aaron Machbitz (1).