DULUTH, Minn. --- Minnesota State traveled to Duluth, Minn.. to take on the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs in a couple of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference contests Wednesday afternoon, dropping the first contest 8-7 and coming from behind to defeat the Bulldogs 8-4 in game two.
The Bulldogs notched the opening run of game one in the bottom of the second inning when freshman Michael Stevenson slapped a RBI triple to center field, scoring junior Josh Threlkeld, putting the Bulldogs up, 1-0.
With the bases loaded in the top of the third, junior outfielder Danny Miller, who entered the contest with a team-best 29 RBI, put the Mavericks up 2-1 with a two-run single. Bulldog righty Gary Wilfahrt, Jr. then threw a wild pitch, allowing sophomore outfielder Ben Kincaid to score, giving Minnesota State a 3-1 lead.
In the fifth after Miller reached on a double, junior catcher Aaron Berner smashed his team-best sixth home run of the season to right-center to put MSU up 5-1.
Minnesota Duluth cut into the Mavericks lead in the bottom of the fifth with a couple of RBI doubles. The first coming from senior Will Dahlgren to right field and the other hit by sophomore Anders Engberg to right-center field, making the score, 5-3.
The Mavericks added a run in the sixth with a sacrifice fly to left field, courtesy of freshman outfielder Mike Eckhart.
Minnesota Duluth rallied to even things up at 6-6 in the seventh. Dahlgren knocked in a run with a double to center field for UMD's fourth run of the game. With a runner on third, Engberg grounded out to junior short stop Zach Rowles, allowing a run to score and senior Brian Burman then hit a RBI single to score Dahlgren.
In the top of the ninth, with one runner on, Kincaid ripped an RBI double, giving the Mavericks a 7-6 lead.
With Minnesota State's saves leader, junior righty Luke Putz on the mound in the ninth, Dahlgren hit a two-run walk-off homer to down the Mavericks, 8-7.
Senior right hand pitcher Patrick Lenton left the game after six innings of work and a 6-3 lead, giving up three earned runs off five hits, walking five and striking out eight. Miller led the Maverick bats going two-for-five, including a double, and two RBI.
Junior Bulldog Tyler Erickson opened game two with a triple to center field, then scored on a throwing error by the short stop. Engberg then tallied an RBI single, Dahlgren scored on a wild pitch and senior Bryan Denisen hit a sacrifice fly to right, putting UMD up 4-0.
The Mavericks then rallied to knot things up in the fourth. Sophomore first baseman Matt Odegaard hit a RBI single to right field in the second and in the third, junior designated hitter Steven Helget grounded to second allowing senior third baseman Kosuke Hattori to score from third in the third inning, making the score 4-2, UMD. Minnesota State tied things up with a two-run fourth that included a RBI triple to right from Hattori and an RBI single to center field from Kincaid.
MSU took the lead in extra innings when sophomore second baseman Matt Kuchenbecker hit a sacrifice fly to left field, followed by an RBI single through the right side from Berner. Freshman outfielder Kyle Svoboda added two insurance runs with a two-run single to center field making the final, 8-4.
Sophomore right handed pitcher Blake Schwartz started the contest for the Mavericks, posting six innings of action, while giving up four runs (one unearned) on seven hits, with one walk and seven strikeouts. Berner finished four-for-five with one RBI to lead MSU.
The Mavericks (23-7, 12-2 NSIC) will travel to Bismarck, N.D., April 10 and 11 for a four-game series with the University of Mary Marauders. Saturday's contest is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m and Sunday's at 12:00 p.m.
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