Box Score MANKATO, Minn. – The No. 11 Minnesota State Mavericks won their sixth consecutive game Wednesday afternoon after taking both games of a doubleheader against Wayne State.  The Mavericks won the first game, 4-3, before earning a 1-0 game-two victory.
 
After two scoreless innings, Wayne State took a 1-0 lead in the third inning of game one as Luke Abkes hit a solo home run to left field for the first run of the afternoon.
 
Minnesota State tied the game at a run apiece in the fifth inning as sophomore Cory Glieden scored after a throwing error by Wildcats’ starting pitcher Austen Wisroth after a bunt single by junior Lucas Skjefte.
 
The Mavericks took their first lead of the game in the sixth inning as junior Mike Eckhart hit a double which fell in between three fielders to score senior Matt Odegaard giving MSU a 2-1 lead.
 
However, in the top of the seventh inning, Wayne State would take a 3-2 lead as Justin Beranek tied the game with an RBI single before taking the one-run lead on a bases-loaded walk.
 
MSU would make the most out of the bottom half of the seventh inning, however, as the Mavericks tied the game at three as freshman Nolan Johnson recorded an RBI groundout which scored senior Matt Kuchenbecker who led off the inning with a triple.
 
With the bases loaded later in the inning, sophomore Todd Standish produced the game-winning RBI as his single took an unfriendly hop over the second baseman’s head which scored senior Pat Dockendorf giving MSU the 4-3 victory.
 
Junior Nick Sutherland was credited with his second win of the season after recording the final out in the top of the seventh inning.  Senior starting pitcher Ben Kincaid earned a no decision after allowing two earned runs on five hits in 6.1 innings pitched.
 
The Mavericks were led by Odegaard at the plate who finished 2-for-4 with a run scored while Eckhart went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
 
Minnesota State scored the only run in game two as Kincaid’s RBI single to left field drove in senior Pat Dockendorf to give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead after four innings.
 
Starting pitcher sophomore Tyler Ockuly earned the win after allowing no runs on five hits while striking out eight batters in eight innings of work.  Sutherland picked up the save for MSU, his fifth of the season, after he was able to strikeout three batters in the final inning of the game.
 
Kincaid recorded two of the five Maverick hits in game two as he led the way going 2-for-3 with one RBI.
 
The two wins improve MSU’s record to 23-5 overall and 11-1 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference while the losses drops WSC to 18-12 overall and 9-7 in the NSIC.
 
Minnesota State returns to action this weekend with a pair of doubleheaders against St. Cloud State with first pitch on Saturday scheduled for 1:30 p.m.