ST. CLOUD, Minn. --- The first-seeded Minnesota State baseball team (38-13, 25-7 NSIC), who are ranked #19 in the nation, defeated the fourth-seeded Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, 6-5.

Minnesota Duluth manufactured a run in the first, junior Tyler Erickson was hit by a pitch, freshman Orry Engebretsen doubled and senior Will Dahlgren walked to load the bases. Sophomore Anders Engberg then grounded out to first, allowing Erickson to reach home, putting UMD up 1-0.

In the third, UMD added two more to its lead. Engebretsen doubled to right-field, followed up by a two-run homer to center-field from Dahlgren.

The Mavericks tallied their first of the contest in the fourth after senior third baseman Kosuke Hattori reached first on a walk, junior outfielder Pat Dockendorf tagged a double down the left-field line, sending Hottori in to score. The double from Dockendorf marked the 115 of the season for the Mavericks, a new single-season record. The old mark was 114 set in 2000.

After junior outfielder Danny Miller singled to left, advancing Dockendorf to third, junior Aaron Berner crushed his tenth homer of the season, a three-run shot to left center-field to put MSU up, 4-3.

The Bulldogs knotted things up at four in the sixth when Enberg was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch, then was hit home on a RBI double off the bat of senior Brian Burman.

In the eighth, Miller tallied the teams second double of the contest, and then reached home after sophomore second baseman Matt Kuchenbecker reached on an error. With Berner on third, sophomore first baseman Matt Odegaard laid down a sacrifice bunt, sending Berner home, putting MSU up 6-4. The sacrifice hit marks the 39th of the season, a new single-season team record. The previous was 38 in 2005.

The Bulldogs pulled within one run in the bottom of the eighth inning, making the score, 6-5. Freshman Mike Severson hit a triple, and was then sent home by a single from junior Jake Kluver.

In the top of the eleventh inning, Odegaard reached first after being hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, then third on a fielders choice, and reached home on a wild pitch for the game-winning run.

Berner led MSU at the plate, going two-for-four with three RBI and two runs scored, while Dockendorf continues his hitting streak, now at 17 games.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Ben Kincaid started the contest for MSU, pitching five innings, giving up four runs off of seven hits, walking one and sTriking out five. Junior left-handed pitcher Trent Vedders entered the game in the tenth and picked up his first win of the season, pitching two scoreless innings, giving up one hit and striking out three.

The Mavericks finished with nine hits, one error and left seven runners on base, while the Bulldogs finished with 13 hits, one errors and nine left on base.

With the win, MSU advances to the NSIC tounament finals which will be played tomorrow afternoon and is expected to start 45 after the 11:00 a.m. semi-final game between Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota Duluth.