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Sioux Falls split their home finale against Bemidji State, winning game one 8-4 after a seven-run fourth inning, but losing game two 8-6 despite a late rally. The Cougars are now 20-19 overall.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (USF) – The University of Sioux Falls settled for a split in Sunday’s home finale against Bemidji State, using a seven-run fourth inning to rally for an 8-4 win in game one before falling 8-6 in game two at Sioux Falls Stadium.
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):
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 singled, Verville was plunked to load the bases. brought home the first two runs with a single through the right side, and after followed with a single, ripped a two-run double to left-center to put USF on top 4-3. Two batters later, Schafer crushed a three-run homer to right, capping a seven-run inning and turning a three-run hole into a 7-3 advantage.
Sioux Falls won the first game 8-4 and lost the second game 8-6.
Brady Schafer hit a three-run homer in game one and drove in two runs in game two, while Brady Baur pitched a complete game in the first match.
The key moment was a seven-run fourth inning that allowed Sioux Falls to overcome an early 3-0 deficit.
Sioux Falls' overall record is now 20-19.

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From there, Baur and the Sioux Falls defense settled in. Bemidji scratched across a run in the sixth, but the Cougars answered immediately when Miller’s bunt single led to an insurance run on a throwing error. Baur closed it out from there, limiting further damage and finishing all seven innings.
The second game was tighter early, but Bemidji capitalized on Sioux Falls mistakes to grab control.
The Beavers scored twice in the third, taking advantage of an error and two sacrifice flies. USF finally answered in the fifth when Edwards stole home after an Iliff single and stolen base sequence, trimming the deficit to 2-1. Bemidji added single runs in the sixth and seventh to build a 4-1 lead, while the Cougars left chances on base in the middle innings.
The decisive blow came in the eighth. Bemidji opened the inning with back-to-back singles and then got a two-run double from Cooper Anderson. Feldman later added an RBI single, and Beau Thoma’s sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 8-2.
Sioux Falls responded with its best punch in the bottom of the eighth. Jager doubled to start the inning, Verville singled, and Drossel forced in another run with a productive at-bat, Miller tripled to make it 8-4. Iliff then worked a walk, and Schafer followed with a two-run double to left-center to bring the Cougars within 8-6 and put the tying run at the plate. But Bemidji escaped without further damage, and Sioux Falls went down in order in the ninth.
“We were lucky to get a split today. We didn’t play either game well. Bats saved us the first game with a 7-spot late. Schafer had a big home run that helped us pull it out. Second game we had too many mistakes on the bases, didn’t pitch it very well, & didn’t play our best defense. It’s been our problem all season, playing consistent ball game in & game out. We’re too much like a roller coaster right now, one game we play well, the next one we don’t. It’s why we’re a game over .500 right now. We have to find a way to be more consistent every game these last couple of weeks of the regular season so we’re playing at a higher level going into the conference tournament.”
– Head Coach Grant Hieb
The Cougars will hit the road for a midweek NSIC doubleheader against St. Cloud State on Wednesday, April 22, with game one scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Joe Faber Field.
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