Crookston, Minn. – Minnesota State, ranked 11th in the nation and first in the region, scored 25 runs and shutout Minnesota, Crookston in a league double-dip Tuesday in Crookston, Minn.
The Mavericks took the opening contest 14-0, and then downed UMC 11-0 in seven innings in game two extending their winning streak to 17 games, two shy of tying the program mark of 19 games which occurred in 1970 and 2007.
Senior outfielder and pitcher Danny Miller walked his first at bat of game one, setting a new Minnesota State baseball career mark of 112 walks. Miller passed former Maverick Kosuke Hatori who previously owned 111 walks.
In the opening contest, the Mavericks scored three runs in the first inning when junior infielder Jeremy Sudbeck who previously hit his second triple of the season scored on a wild pitch and senior outfielder Aaron Berner hit a two-run single to right center plating junior infielder Pat Dockendorf and Miller who each walked.
Senior infielder Zach Rowles singled to lead off the second, followed up by a homer to right field off the bat of junior infielder Matt Kuchenbecker, his fifth of 2011, to put MSU up, 5-0.
The Mavericks manufactured three more in the third giving them a 8-0 lead. Rowles hits a sacrifice fly to right, Kuchenbecker hit a RBI single to right center and Sudbeck ripped a RBI double to right field.
The Mavericks finished off Minnesota, Crookston with a five-run fifth inning highlighted by an RBI single from Berner, a two-run double from senior catcher Steven Helget and a RBI triple from junior outfielder Ben Kincaid. MSU added one more in the sixth on a sacrifice fly from Sudbeck, making the final, 14-0.
Five Mavericks had multiple hits to lead MSU who out hit UMC, 16-3. Sudbeck went 3-for-4 with a single, double and triple, and two RBI, while Kincaid finished 3-for-3 with a triple and three RBI.
Miller improved his record to 8-1 on the season, throwing four scoreless inning, and giving up two hits, walking two and sitting eight batters down on strikes. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Jordan Krause finished the game with two scoreless innings and striking out two.
In game two’s 11-0 victory, MSU scored one in third on a sacrifice fly from Miller, one in the fourth when Helget scored on a throwing error, one in the fifth on a RBI single from Berner and one in the sixth on a Rowles RBI triple giving the Mavericks a 4-0 lead after six.
Minnesota State then ended the game early scoring seven in the seventh inning highlighted by two-run doubles from Sudbeck and Dockendorf. Rowles and helget each tallied RBI singles and sophomore infielder Lucas Skjefte was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The Maverick finished game two with 12 hits to Minnesota, Crookston’s four. Sudbeck again led the team, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs batted in.
Senior righty Blake Schwartz picked up his eighth win of the season, pitching four scoreless innings, giving up two hits, walking none and fanning 10 batters.
The Mavericks (29-8, 21-3 NSIC) will face Southwest Minnesota State in a home-and-home series this weekend with both doubleheaders starting at 1:30 p.m. Minnesota State will host the back end of the series at MSU Baseball Complex.
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