The Pitt State baseball team (2-4) put on an offensive show for the home crowd in the 2017 home opening double header against Sioux Falls. The Gorillas won both games, 21-11 and 13-11. In the two games, the Gorillas scored 34 runs on 31 hits and finished the day with a .484 batting average. The Gorillas scored at least one run in every inning of the doubleheader, except the third inning of game one.
Colton Pogue led the team, hitting .750 (6-for-8) with a double, a home run, six RBI and five runs scored. He walked once and was hit by two pitched. He hit a grand slam in the seventh of game one that sealed the run-rule win. Dallas Reed also recorded six hits for the Gorillas, including two home runs and a triple. He led the team with six runs scored and eight RBI. He hit a three-run home run in each game. Brett Macary also recorded six RBI for Pitt State. His first home run of the season was a grand slam in the second inning of game one. Hunter Clanin went 4-for-7 with a double, a triple and a home run. He was also walked twice and hit by a pitch. He hit his triple in game one and his double and home run in game two.
The Gorillas used eight pitchers in the two games. Started Cody Whiting picked up the win in game one. He threw 4.0 innings, and gave up six runs on 10 hits. Only five of the runs were earned. He also struck out three batters. Blaine Fisher saw action in both games, pitching a total of 4.1 innings in relief. He gave up only two runs on three hits. He walked one and struck out six. Cooper Gardner earned the game two win. He threw 2.2 innings of relief, giving up two runs on two hits. He walked two and struck out four.
Pitt State started scoring early with three runs in the first inning of game one. Sioux Falls answered with two runs of their own to make the score 3-2.
The Gorilla bats got hot in the bottom of the second. Twelve batters came to the plate as Pitt State tallied nine runs on six hits, including Macary's grand slam and a three-run home by Reed.
Neither team scored in the third, but each put up a run in the fourth, allowing the Gorillas to maintain their 10-run 13-3 lead.
The Cougars narrowed the gap in the top of the fifth with four runs on four hits.
Pitt State added just one run in each the fifth and sixth innings.
Sioux Falls scored four more in the top of the seventh, but Pitt State was able to end the game with a 10-run lead after the bottom of the inning. A Clanin triple plated Ethan Schlesener, then he came home on a Cole Brecheisen base hit. Tyson Cushman reached on a fielder's choice and Chase Kilgore walked to load the bases for Pogue who hit the Gorillas second grand slam of the game to end it with the 21-11 win.
Pitt State got down 6-0 early in game two, but steadily fought back. The team started with three runs in the bottom half of the first. With one run in the second and two in the third, the game was tied 6-6 headed into the fourth.
The Gorilla defense held Sioux Falls scoreless again in the top of the fourth. Then the offense tacked on a go ahead run in the bottom of the inning for a 7-6 lead.
Sioux Falls took the lead back with three runs in the top of the fifth. But again the Gorillas had an answer, this time with five runs on three hits and an error, including two home runs, one each from Reed and Clanin. Pitt State led 12-9.
The Cougars cut Pitt State's lead to one with two runs in the top of the sixth. The Gorillas took the lead back to two as Logan Terrell scored on a Schlesener base hit down the left line for the final 13-11.
Gardner made sure the lead would stick as he struck out two in the Cougar half of the seventh.
Pitt State and Sioux Falls will play the final game of the three-game series at 1 p.m. on Sunday (Feb. 12).
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