FARGO, N.D. (Interstat) — Luke Luskey drove in seven runs with a pair of home runs and South Dakota State defeated North Dakota State 16-10 on Sunday afternoon at Newman Outdoor Field, taking the rubber match of the three-game Summit League series.

Luskey, the Jackrabbits’ designated hitter, went 4 for 6 with a double and two homers, leading a 17-hit attack that erased an early deficit and withstood a late Bison rally.

South Dakota State jumped ahead immediately in the top of the first inning. After Luke Wroblewski flied out, Cade Grawe walked and advanced to second on a single by Mason Wachter. Luskey doubled to left field, scoring Grawe for the game’s first run. Dayton Franke followed with a two-run double to right, plating Wachter and Luskey. Carter Taylor singled, but the inning ended with two strikeouts. The Jackrabbits led 4-0.

North Dakota State answered in the bottom of the second. Kyle Law homered to right field, cutting the lead to 4-1. But the Bison left a runner on base and could not capitalize further.

Luskey struck again in the third. Wachter singled to left, and Luskey crushed his first home run of the day to center field, scoring Wachter and himself. The Jackrabbits led 6-1.

The game’s decisive rally came in the top of the fourth. With one out, Henry Evenson walked. After a fielder’s choice, Grawe singled and a wild pitch moved runners into scoring position. Wachter walked to load the bases. Luskey then drove a grand slam to center field, clearing the bases and extending the lead to 10-1. North Dakota State changed pitchers, but Franke grounded out to end the inning.

South Dakota State starter Sam Novotny worked efficiently through the first four innings, allowing only the Law home run. He retired the side in order in the third and fourth.

The Jackrabbits added a run in the fifth without a hit, as a passed ball and a double by Luke Jirschele put a runner on third, but he was left stranded.

North Dakota State began to claw back in the bottom of the fifth. Blake Timmons homered to right field, making it 10-2. The Bison then put together a five-run sixth inning. After a hit batter and a double by Diego Trujillo, a sacrifice fly scored Law. A double by Jake Freiter drove in Trujillo. With two outs and Tristan Augedahl now pitching for South Dakota State, Timmons was hit by a pitch, a walk loaded the bases, and Jack Corbin doubled to center, clearing the bases and cutting the lead to 10-6. The Bison left two runners on base.

South Dakota State responded in the seventh. Franke was hit by a pitch, and Taylor homered to left field, his second hit of the game, pushing the lead to 12-6. After a single by Nick Werk, Jirschele walked, Evenson walked, and Wroblewski singled to left, scoring two more. The Jackrabbits led 14-6.

North Dakota State again chipped away in the bottom half. Law tripled and scored on a single by Trujillo, trimming the lead to 14-7.

The Jackrabbits added two more in the eighth. Wachter singled, Luskey singled, and after Franke popped out, Werk singled to center, scoring both runners for a 16-7 advantage.

The Bison scored three in the bottom of the eighth. Timmons walked, Zach Simon doubled, and after a strikeout, Davin Smith singled to right, scoring two. A double by Zach Becker put runners on second and third, but only one more run scored on a single by Trujillo, making it 16-10.

Both teams went quietly in the ninth. Ethan Swaby pitched a scoreless inning for North Dakota State, but the Bison could not close the gap.

Luke Wroblewski had two hits and two RBIs for South Dakota State. Carter Taylor finished 2 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs. Diego Trujillo led North Dakota State with four hits and two RBIs. Kyle Law went 2 for 4 with a homer and a triple. Blake Timmons homered and had two hits.

The win lifted South Dakota State’s record to 14-26 overall, 5-5 in Summit League play. North Dakota State fell to 9-28, 4-8.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of North Dakota State 4, South Dakota State 3, and Interstat’s ELO system gave the Bison a 61.00 percent probability to win.