ST. CHARLES, MO. - Lindenwood rallied for runs in the seventh and eighth innings to pull out a 3-2 victory over South Dakota State in nonconference baseball action Tuesday afternoon at the Lou Brock Sports Complex.
The Lions improved to 3-14 overall with the one-run victory. SDSU dropped to 3-9 on the season.
Lindenwood’s late-inning heroics came after the Jackrabbits grabbed a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning on a solo home run by Cade Stuff. It was the first career homer for Stuff, who finished the game 4-for-5 and was a double away from the cycle.
SDSU starter Jack Kruger allowed only one hit through his 6 1/3 innings - a single by Greg Sanders to lead off the game - and exited after hitting Tyson Ludwig with a pitch. Ludwig later stole second and came across with the tying run on a single by Ethan Abercrombie off reliever Dylan Driessen.
Driessen struck out the first two batters he faced in the eighth inning before issuing a walk to Marcus Heusohn. Once again, the free pass came back to haunt the Jackrabbits as Dawson Hokuf doubled to the right-center gap to plate Heusong with the go-ahead run.
Two Jackrabbits reached on back-to-back hit-by-pitches with two outs in the ninth, but Lindenwood reliever Easton Rakers struck out Stuff to end the game.
Sanders scored the first run of the game on a groundout after his leadoff single for Lindenwood, while the Jackrabbits answered with their initial tally in the top of the second on an RBI single by Nic Nelson that brought home Adam Benes.
Kruger struck out only one and walked four in his second consecutive quality start.
The Jackrabbits finished with a 9-3 advantage in hits and stranded nine baserunners in the game.
