BROOKINGS, S.D. (Interstat) — Owen Marsolek pitched no-hit ball into the eighth inning and struck out 12 as Saint Thomas beat South Dakota State 4-2 on Saturday evening at Erv Huether Field.

Marsolek, a right-hander for the Tommies, worked 7 2/3 innings, allowing no hits and two earned runs while walking five. He had lost his previous start April 2 against Oral Roberts, when he gave up 10 earned runs in four innings. His turnaround Saturday helped Saint Thomas improve to 9-34 overall and 6-12 in the Summit League. South Dakota State fell to 15-27 and 6-9.

Saint Thomas scored its four runs on four hits, taking advantage of two South Dakota State errors. Adam Puder drove in two runs, one with a double in the second inning and another on a sacrifice fly in the fourth. The Tommies opened the scoring in the top of the second when John Maulik singled and advanced to second on a throwing error by Jackrabbits starter Sam Novotny. Puder followed with a double down the left-field line to plate Maulik. Saint Thomas added two more runs in the fourth. With runners at first and second, Maulik bunted and reached on a fielder’s choice as a throwing error by shortstop Keagen Jirschele allowed Roder to score from second. Puder then lifted a sacrifice fly to right-center, scoring Bond. The final Saint Thomas run came in the sixth when John Welke singled through the right side to score Berrisford, who had walked, advanced to second on a balk and moved to third on a groundout.

South Dakota State got both of its runs in the bottom of the eighth. Marsolek had retired the first two batters of the inning before Taylor was hit by a pitch and Jones walked. Mason Lang, pinch-hitting for Jirschele, singled to right, scoring Taylor. Marsolek was then lifted for Zak Endres. Nicholas Werk greeted Endres with a single to left, scoring Jones and cutting the deficit to 4-2. Endres got out of the inning with a groundout and pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the save.

Jackrabbits pitchers combined for five hits and five walks. Novotny started and went four innings, allowing two hits and two earned runs with two strikeouts. Jacob Sjuts followed with two innings, giving up one hit and one earned run. Matthew Werk pitched three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out two.

Tanner Recchio had one hit for Saint Thomas, going 1-for-5. Welke finished 1-for-4. For South Dakota State, Werk had a hit and an RBI, and Lang had a hit and an RBI. Keagen Jirschele went 0-for-2.

The game was the second of a three-game series. On Friday, the Jackrabbits outslugged the Tommies 16-13. South Dakota State had won three of four head-to-head meetings this season entering Saturday, including a 13-2 victory on April 11 and a 7-2 win on April 10. Saint Thomas had won the series opener on April 10 by a 4-1 score.

Both teams resume the series Sunday, May 10, back at Erv Huether Field.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of South Dakota State 5, Saint Thomas 2. Interstat’s ELO system gave South Dakota State a 53.30 percent probability to win.