USF bounces back in game two to earn split with UMC

April 14, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (USF) – The University of Sioux Falls baseball team split Monday’s NSIC doubleheader with Minnesota Crookston at Sioux Falls Stadium, dropping a tight 4-3 decision in game one before bouncing back with an 8-3 win in game two behind a strong effort from Logan Anderson.

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The day featured two very different games for the Cougars. In the opener, Sioux Falls got another big swing from Mitch Iliff and rallied to tie the game in the sixth, but Minnesota Crookston answered in the bottom half and held on late. In game two, the Cougars again fell behind early before erupting for a five-run fourth inning and adding on from there, finishing with 13 hits while Anderson settled in to quiet the Golden Eagles the rest of the way.

USF finished the day with 22 hits and 11 runs across the twinbill, with Iliff continuing his torrid stretch at the plate. The Cougar slugger homered in game one and went 2-for-3 in game two, while Casey Sehr, Drew Miller and Nolan Drossel all delivered timely contributions as Sioux Falls earned the split and stayed above .500 in conference play.

Final Score(s):

Game one: Minnesota Crookston 4, Sioux Falls 3
Game two: Sioux Falls 8, Minnesota Crookston 3 (6 inn.) – Weather

Game One – How It Happened

Sioux Falls grabbed the early lead in the opener when Iliff launched a solo homer to right in the first, but Minnesota Crookston answered in the second. A hit batter and sacrifice bunt set the table before Cole Hebl lined a two-run single down the left-field line to put the Golden Eagles in front 2-1.

The Cougars threatened in the second after Casey Sehr doubled and Cullen Verville dropped down a bunt, but Crookston cut down the tying run at the plate to preserve the lead. Minnesota Crookston added another run in the fourth when Aaron Wensloff homered to right, giving the visitors a 3-1 cushion.

USF finally broke through in the sixth. Drew Miller singled to start the inning, Sehr later drove him in with a single through the left side, and after Verville walked and Nolan Drossel reached on a bunt single, Dominic Vogel drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at 3-3.

The tie did not last long. In the bottom half of the sixth, Americo Sculati singled and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Hebl then came through again, lining an RBI single through the left side to score the go-ahead run and give Crookston a 4-3 edge. That proved to be the difference.

Game One – On the Mound

Starting pitcher: Brady Baur — 6.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Decision: Loss — Baur (4-2)
Bullpen impact: No bullpen was needed as Baur went the distance and kept the Cougars in it throughout
Notable pitching moments: Baur retired the first three batters in order in the opening inning and worked around traffic in multiple frames, but Crookston capitalized on two key innings.

Game One – At the Plate

Multi-hit games: Miller (2-for-4), Sehr (2-for-3)
Extra-base hits: Iliff (HR), Sehr (2B)
RBIs: Iliff, Sehr, Vogel
Clutch situations: The sixth-inning rally tied the game on RBI knocks from Sehr and a bases-loaded walk by Vogel
Team totals: 9 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 8 left on base

Game Two – How It Happened

The nightcap started with another early Crookston lead. The Golden Eagles pushed across an unearned run in the first after a passed ball. This time, the Cougars had the bigger answer.

USF broke through in the fourth in emphatic fashion. Drew Miller singled, Jackson Yeager doubled him home, and after an error extended the inning, Drossel knocked in another run on a fielder’s choice. Two batters later, Vogel singled to center, setting the stage for Edwards, who crushed a three-run homer to left. In the span of a few batters, Sioux Falls turned a 1-0 deficit into a 5-1 lead.

The Cougars added on in the fifth. Casey Sehr walked, Verville doubled to center, and Drossel followed with a two-run single to make it 7-3. USF tacked on one more in the sixth when Iliff singled, Brady Schafer moved him over, and Miller drove him home with a groundout.

After a shaky opening stretch, Anderson settled in beautifully. He allowed just four hits and no earned runs over six innings, finishing with four strikeouts while working through a couple of defensive miscues behind him. He stranded traffic in the fourth and then retired the Golden Eagles in order in the fifth and sixth to help lock down the split.

Game Two – On the Mound

Starting pitcher: Logan Anderson — 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Decision: Win — Anderson (4-3)
Bullpen impact: Not needed; Anderson went the distance in the weather shortened contest
Notable pitching moments: After allowing three runs through four innings, all unearned, Anderson finished with two straight scoreless frames and kept Crookston off the board after the fourth

Game Two – At the Plate

Multi-hit games: Iliff (2-for-3), Schafer (2-for-4), Miller (2-for-4), Yeager (2-for-4), Verville (2-for-3)
Extra-base hits: Edwards (HR), Iliff (2B), Yeager (2B), Verville (2B)
RBIs: Edwards (3), Drossel (3), Miller, Yeager
Clutch situations: Edwards’ three-run homer flipped the game in the fourth, and Drossel’s two-run single in the fifth provided important breathing room
Team totals: 13 hits, 8 runs, 4 walks, 0 hit by pitch, 7 left on base

Key Cougars (Day Standouts)

Mitch Iliff — Went 3-for-6 with a home run, double, two RBIs and reached base in both games.
Casey Sehr — Collected three hits on the day, drove in a run in game one and helped ignite the offense in game two.
Drew Miller — Recorded four hits across the doubleheader and scored or drove in key runs in both contests.
Nolan Drossel — Delivered the tying bunt single in game one’s sixth inning rally and drove in three runs in game two.
Logan Anderson — Tossed a complete game in the nightcap, allowing three runs, none earned, while holding Crookston scoreless over the final two innings.
Brady Baur — Gave USF a complete-game effort in the opener and battled through six innings in a tight, tournament-style matchup.

Coach’s Corner

“Tough split today. Both of our starters, Brady and Logan, pitched well enough to win. It was a good game between two tourney teams. We just didn’t execute on offense when we needed to in the first game, and they took advantage of a few mistakes we made. I was glad to see Logan pick us up in game two and get the win. He settled in after a shaky start and really looked good. It was big getting complete games from both of our starters today and giving us a full bullpen on Wednesday for our Wayne State series. With these games moved back a day, we’ve got a lot of games this week. Wayne will be a big series, as they’re another team that is always a tough opponent. Looking forward to heading down there in a couple of days.”
– Head Coach Grant Hieb

Up Next

The Cougars hit the road next for a key midweek NSIC matchup against Wayne State on Wednesday, April 15 in Wayne, Nebraska. The doubleheader is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. at Pete Chapman Baseball Complex.

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