Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Winter Haven, Fla. --- Tenth-ranked Minnesota State garnered its first series sweep of the season as it topped Northwood University in back-to-back contests Wednesday at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
 
MSU captured a 2-1 win in the first game and a 10-3 victory in game two.
 
Junior righthander Jason Hoppe fanned 12 Timberwolf batters in game one while allowing five hits, one walk and one earned run to improve to 3-0 on the year. Northwood struck first in the top of the second inning on an RBI single from junior Seth Szafranski, but the Mavericks would provide answer in the bottom of the fifth. Junior Chris Williams’ two-out single plated junior outfielder Scott Lindner before Williams came across on a bases-loaded walk to sophomore catcher Nolan Johnson. Senior righthander Mahlon Zimmerman struck out two in the seventh inning to lock down his third save of the season.
 
In the second game, Minnesota State jumped out to a seven-run lead after two and a half innings and never looked back. The Mavericks scored three in the top of the first - highlighted by a two-run double from junior Stetson Olson - and produced four additional runs in the third including a pair on a two-run home run by senior Lucas Skjefte.
 
The Timberwolves tallied one run in bottom half of the third after a solo shot from junior Tyler Beatty and two more in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 7-3 ball game.
 
However, a sacrifice fly from Olson in the sixth and two unearned runs in the seventh would cement the 10-3 MSU victory. Senior righthander Nick Sutherland gave up three runs over five innings of work while striking out five to pick up a win in his first start of the year.
 
Olson didn’t record an out in game two as he was three-for-three with a double, three runs scored and a pair of RBIs. Williams ended the day two-of four with a double, two runs and two RBIs, while Skjefte finished two-for-four with a homerun, two RBIs and a pair of runs scored.
 
Minnesota State improves to 9-3 overall and challenges Ashland University tomorrow with first pitch set for 2:00 p.m. ET.