Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 FAYETTE, Iowa – A couple of lopsided victories were in order Sunday afternoon for Minnesota State as the No. 5 Mavericks handled Upper Iowa with a 17-0 victory in game one before capping off the day with an 8-1 win in game two.  The Mavericks 27-5 conference record also marks the Mavericks as the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular-season champions.
 
After a scoreless first inning, the Mavericks offense would give starting pitcher sophomore Tyler Ockuly plenty of run support in the second inning as MSU took a commanding lead after tallying eight runs.
 
MSU would lead off the inning with hits from seniors Matt Odegaard and Ben Kincaid before junior Mike Eckhart drove in the Mavericks’ first run with an RBI single which scored Odegaard.
 
Kincaid would score next as senior Jeremy Sudbeck connected on an RBI single before freshman Nolan Johnson would load the bases with a bunt single for junior Lucas Skjefte who proceeded to drive in two more runs with a single which pushed the lead to 4-0.
 
The Mavericks would also receive run-producing hits in the inning from senior Matt Kuchenbecker who hit an RBI double, senior Pat Dockendorf who hit a sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Kincaid.
 
MSU would continue to add to its run total the following inning scoring six more runs as Kuchenbecker hit a two RBI double, Dockendorf connected on a two RBI single, Odegaard brought in Dockendorf with a double and Eckhart drove home Odegaard with a triple.
 
After adding three more runs in the top of the seventh to take a 17-0 lead, junior Aaron Page pitched the final inning and struck out two batters as he and Ockuly would combine for the shutout.
 
Ockuly picked up his fourth win of the season after allowing no runs on two hits while striking out seven batters in six innings pitched.
 
As a team, Minnesota State tallied a season-high 21 hits as freshman Connor McCallum led the way going 3-for-4 with a run scored while Kuchenbecker, Odegaard, Kincaid, Eckhart, Sudbeck and sophomore Cory Glieden each recorded two hits.  Dockendorf drove in a team-best four RBI while Kuchenbecker added three.
 
The Mavericks would jump ahead early in game two as Dockendorf’s RBI double scored Kuchenbecker which gave MSU a 1-0 lead.
 
MSU added two more runs in the fourth inning as Eckhart parked a two-run home run before breaking the game open in the seventh scoring five more runs as the Mavericks recorded four RBI singles and a sacrifice fly making the score 8-0.
 
Upper Iowa scored its lone run of the day in the final inning as Patrick Arntson recorded an RBI groundout which scored Mikey Henrichs.
 
The Mavericks were led at the plate by Odegaard and Sudbeck who each recorded three hits and an RBI while Sudbeck added a pair of hits and an RBI.
 
Sophomore Jason Hoppe picked up the win on the mound in game two after allowing no runs on four hits while striking out three batters in five innings pitched.
 
With the two victories the Mavericks close out the regular-season portion of their schedule with a 39-9 overall record and a 27-5 mark in the NSIC.  The two losses dropped Upper Iowa’s record to 20-30 overall and 16-19 in league action.
 
Minnesota State’s next action will be in the NSIC tournament which is scheduled to begin Wednesday, May 9 at Franklin Rogers Park in Mankato.  Stay tuned to msumavericks.com for more information regarding the conference tournament.