St. Cloud, Minn. --- Ninth-Rated Minnesota State dropped a NCAA Central Region elimination game to second-seeded Mesa State Sunday night in St. Cloud, Minn., 7-4, ending MSU’s season.
The Mavericks finished the 2011 season with its second consecutive 40-win season under head coach Matt Magers, concluding 2011 with a 40-12 overall record.
MSU wraps up its 30th appearance in the NCAA postseason action and are owners of a all-time 46-52 NCAA postseason record.
Mesa State started things off by rallying to score five runs in the second inning of the Central Region elimination game, using a RBI-single from catcher Colton Schoelkopf, a two-run double from shortstop Ken Evanson and right fielder Greg Anderson drove in two runs.
Minnesota State loaded up the bases in the top of the third, but with two outs junior first baseman Jeremy Sudbeck fanned on a third strike to end top half. MSU left two more runners stranded in scoring position in the fourth.
In the top of the fifth innings, MSC’s third baseman Erik Nordine overthrew first base allowing senior shortstop Zach Rowles score and junior second baseman Matt Kuchenbecker’s two-run single cut Mesa State’s lead to just two runs.
The Mesa State Mavericks loaded up the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning with only one out and Evanson hit his second two-run double of the contest, putting Mesa State up 7-3. Senior lefty Trent Vedders then entered the contest and retired the next two batters.
Mesa State juiced the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning with nobody out, but sophomore right-handed pitcher Mahlon Zimmermann was able keep Mesa State from adding to its lead, retiring the next three batters.
MSU senior outfielder Aaron Berner scored the game’s final run in the eighth on a groundout to third base, eventually giving Mesa State the 7-4 win.
Mesa State out hit MSU, 12-7.
Leading Minnesota State at the plate was Kuchenbecker who went 2-for-3 with a double while driving in two runs. The junior infielder finished the 2011 season with 56 RBI, which is tied for fourth in the MSU’s single-season stat list.
Dropping to 8-3 in 2011 is senior left-handed pitcher Danny Miller who gave up four runs on five hits, walked two and struck out one. Freshman righty Bryce Bellin, Vedders and Zimmernann all saw action in relief.
Mesa State, 35-20 overall, advances to the 2011 NCAA DII Central Region Tournament Championship and will play Nebraska-Kearney, Winona State or St. Cloud State.
Minnesota State finishes its 2011 campaign with a 40-12 record, earned the NSIC Regular-Season title and finished fifth in the 2011 NCAA DII Central Region Tournament.
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