MARSHALL, Minn. --- The Minnesota State baseball squad traveled to Marshall, Minn., Saturday afternoon to take on the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference twin bill that was originally scheduled for Friday afternoon. The Mavericks defeated SMSU 15-3 in game one and 8-1 in game two.
Junior right-handed pitcher Bret Mitchell bettered his record to 6-2 on the year with the win, giving up two earned runs off of three hits, walking three and striking out six.
Junior outfielder Aaron Berner opened up scoring in game one with a solo home run to left field to put the Mavericks up 1-0 after the second inning.
SMSU even things up in the bottom of the third inning when sophomore second baseman Adam Thygesen tallied an RBI single up the middle.
Berner earned his second RBI of the game with another solo shot to left field, putting MSU up 2-1.
The Mavericks put two more on the board in the sixth inning; junior outfield Danny Miller hit the Mavericks third solo home run of the game and sophomore designated hitter Patrick Dockendorf hit a sacrifice fly to score junior catcher Steven Helget.
In the seventh inning, senior third baseman Kosuke Hattori scored on a throwing error, while Miller grounded out to second allowing sophomore first baseman Ben Kincaid to reach home, giving the Mavericks a 6-1 lead.
MSU piled on six more runs in the eighth to put them up, 12-1. Miller hit a three-run double to left center, followed by Berner hitting a three-run homer to left field; his third bomb of the contest.
Mustang freshman first baseman Brian Ness tallied the Mustangs second run of the contest with a solo home run to center field, while junior short stop Tyler Jendro hit a sacrifice fly to left field to make the score 12-3.
MSU wasn’t done yet. Junior short stop Zach Rowles tallied an RBI double, scoring freshman outfielder Mike Eckhart, followed by Miller tallying his second home run of the game, this time a two-run shot to right field.
Minnesota State was led by the impressive bats of Berner and Miller in game one. Berner finished the contest five-for-five, with five RBI and three home runs; he now owns five home runs on the year. Miller racked up three hits in six at bats, tallying seven RBI, a double and hit his third and fourth home runs of the season. Berner and Miller were the first Mavericks to hit multiple home runs in a game this season.
MSU out hit the Mustangs, 17-5 in the game and MSU’s six home run game marks the first of its kind this season.
In game two, second inning, the mustangs jumped out to a 1-0 lead after Jendro grounded out to second to score junior outfielder Tyler Fayden.
The Mavericks began a three inning scoring spree in the third. Eckhart hit a RBI double and Hattori hit RBI doubles, while Miller tallied an RBI single.
The fourth inning saw Eckhart earn his second RBI of the game on a single, sophomore first baseman Matt Odegaard scored on an error and Hattori slapped down a sacrifice bunt, scoring Eckhart.
In the fifth, sophomore second baseman Matt Kuchenbecker hit an RBI single and Odegaard batting in Helget on a fielder’s choice.
Eckhart led the Mavericks in game two going two-for-three, including a double and two RBI.
Kincaid improved his record to 4-1on the year, while throwing his first complete game of the season in seven innings of action. The righty gave up one unearned run, scattering five hits, walking none and striking out six.
The Mavericks (22-6, 11-1 NSIC), who have won seven straight and thirteen of their last fourteen games, travel to Duluth, Minn. for a conference contest with the Bulldogs Wednesday, April 6, with game one slated for 1:00 p.m.
To view game one's box score, click HERE.
To view game two's box score, click HERE.
To view season stats, click HERE.
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