A seven-run eighth inning coupled with dominant relief by senior Matt Butler led #14 St. Cloud State baseball (4-0, 0-0 NSIC) past UW-Parkside (0-4, 0-0 GLIAC) in a wild 9-5 game.

The Huskies opened the scoring in the first after Jordan Joseph (3-4, R, 2B, RBI) doubled then came in to score on a throwing error by Rangers catcher Nicholas Eisenmenger. Lenny Walker (4-5, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, SB) reached on the first of his career-high four hits to lead off the second, stole second, moved to third on a throwing error and scored on a Toran Shahidi (2-4, R, 2B, RBI) sacrifice fly.

Two runs initially seemed to be all St. Cloud State needed, as ace Dominic Austing held UW-Parkside hitless over his first 4.1 innings. Austing’s blister issue surfaced in the third, and as a result his pitch count ran up and he was forced from the game with the bases loaded and two out in the fifth. Blake Flint coaxed a groundout to squash the threat, giving Austing a final line of zero runs on one hit and two walks across 4.2 frames with 9 strikeouts.

Flint struggled to locate in the sixth and the seventh, allowing the Rangers to take a 5-2 lead. SCSU turned to Butler in the latter frame, who navigated out of a jam and kept the deficit at three.

Down 5-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Walker led off with a single, followed by a Shahidi double. Matt Quade roped a two-run single into right to cut the lead to one, then Ethan Ibarra dropped a beautiful sacrifice bunt down the third base line and reached on a bobbled catch by Parkside’s first baseman. Najee Gaskins walked to load the bases, and Joseph clobbered a deep fly ball to left for a sacrifice fly. Mitch Mallek lifted a routine sac fly into right field, only to have it dropped by the Rangers. Meyer walked to reload the bases, then two batters later Walker clubbed a two-run double to right-center, capping off the seven-run inning and giving the Huskies the 9-5 lead.

Butler earned his first collegiate win by firing 2.2 shutout innings, allowing just one batter to reach on a walk and striking out 5.

UW-Parkside had just four hits  and committed 7 errors.

St. Cloud State takes on UW-Parkside again on Monday, February 25 at 11:00 a.m. on the KVSC Sports Stream, then collide with Missouri S&T at 4:00. Husky Den Pregame will be live 30 minutes before first pitch for both games.

Box Score