Minneapolis, Minn. — Minnesota State downed Quincy University (Ill.) in a pair of nonconference baseball games played in the Metrodome Tuesday night.
Three-run outbursts in the first and fifth innings gave MSU's Bret Mitchell plenty of cushion as he tossed a three-hitter to lead the Mavericks to a 7-2 win in the first game.
MSU scored three times in the top of the first inning as Ben Kincaid tripled with two out in the inning, followed by Danny Miller’s RBI single to left. Steven Helget then followed with a home run to left-center field for a 3-0 lead.
Mitchell cruised through the first three innings, facing just nine hitters, before giving up an infield single to Justin Ritchhart to lead off the fourth. Richhart stole second and eventually scored on two-out single by Matt Scoggins.
The Mavericks scored three more runs in their half of the fifth inning as Lucas Skjefte led off by hitting his first career home run to chase Quincy starter Royce Duncan. Brian Lupa was greeted by a Zach Rowles base hit and a bunt single by Kosuke Hattori and was charged with two runs.
MSU’s final run came in the top of the seventh as Steven Helget singled with two out and scored on a Patrick Dockendorf single.
Mitchell needed just 73 pitches to complete his second game of the season. He walked one and struck out five in earning his third win of the season.
Steven Helget had three hits and four RBI, Zach Rowles added a three-hit, three-run, three-RBI performance and Minnesota State finished the sweep with an 11-4 win.
Rowles opened the bottom of the first inning with a single and scored on Helget’s infield single to give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead.MSU plated four runs in the second inning while batting around the order and, after the Hawks got two runs back in top of the third, the Mavericks added three more runs in the third, including a two-run single by Ben Kincaid, who also drove in three runs for the game. Helget’s two-run double in the fifth inning capped another three-run burst by the Mavericks and before Quincy came back with two runs in the seventh.
Senior righthander Patrick Lenton picked up his fourth win of the season by going four innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out six.
Now 11-5 for the year, MSU is scheduled to begin Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action this weekend with four games at Northern State Saturday and Sunday.
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