Box Score CARY, N.C. – Minnesota State didn’t get out to the start it hoped to in the opening day of the NCAA Division II World Series as the Mavericks fell 3-2 to the Penmen of Southern New Hampshire Saturday evening at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.
 
MSU, the top fielding percentage team in the nation going into the tournament, committed five uncommon fielding errors which led to all three of Southern New Hampshire’s runs as the Mavericks dropped their first contest since May 11.  Minnesota State had previously been on a seven-game winning streak.
 
Minnesota State jumped ahead early as freshman catcher Nolan Johnson drove an RBI single to center field to bring in fellow freshman Connor McCallum before junior Lucas Skjefte recorded a fielder’s choice to score senior Jeremy Sudbeck for the Mavericks second run.
 
Southern New Hampshire would find the scoreboard in the sixth inning, cutting the lead to one, after an error by McCallum brought in right fielder Jon Minucci making the score 2-1.
 
However, an error-plagued top of the seventh would see Minnesota State surrender the lead as the Penmen captured the 3-2 edge after two errors in the inning led to two more unearned Penmen runs.
 
Southern New Hampshire starting pitcher Tim Flight, who picked up the win after allowing two earned runs on four hits while striking out nine batters in seven innings of work, was strong throughout the night before being pulled after hitting senior Ben Kincaid with a pitch to begin the bottom of the eighth.
 
A single by junior Mike Eckhart moved Kincaid to third base with no outs before relief pitcher Alex Powers was able to end the Mavericks greatest chance of mounting a comeback.
 
Powers proceeded to strike out Sudbeck before getting McCallum to ground into an inning-ending double play which took the life out of the Mavericks who went one-two-three in their half of the ninth to end the game and seal Powers’ eighth save of the season.
 
Minnesota State, who next plays Chico State on Monday, was led offensively by Eckhart who was the only Maverick to record multiple hits going 2-for-4 with a run scored as the team finished the night with just five hits, its lowest output since recording four hits May 1 against Winona State.
 
Sophomore Bryce Bellin, despite not allowing an earned run, was credited with the loss after allowing two hits in the seventh inning in relief of starting pitcher sophomore Tyler Ockuly.
 
Ockuly had a solid outing, spreading out five hits and allowing one unearned run over the course of six innings.
 
Junior right-handed pitcher Mahlon Zimmermann threw the final three innings for Minnesota State and allowed no runs or hits.
 
Monday’s elimination game against Chico State is slated to begin at 1 p.m. (EST), as the Indians fell 4-0 in their opening-round loss to West Chester earlier Saturday afternoon.  The double-elimination championship tournament runs through June 2 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.