Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Rapid City, S.D. --- Eleventh-rated Minnesota State suffered a 5-3 loss but recovered for a 12-2 victory in game two as it split with Northern State - for the second straight day - in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Saturday afternoon at Fitzgerald Stadium.
 
MSU got on the board in the bottom of the first inning of game one with an RBI single from sophomore Nolan Johnson and added another in the second after a solo homerun from junior Scott Lindner. However, the Wolves would take a one-run lead with three of their own in the top of the third behind a homerun from senior Brent Lawrence and an RBI double off the bat of junior Derek Tymesen. 
 
Each team tallied another run in the fifth inning before Lawrence blasted his second round-tripper of the day in the sixth to give NSU a 5-3 lead it would not relinquish. Junior righthander Tyler Ockuly (2-3) allowed six hits and three runs with a pair of strikeouts but was forced to leave after 2.2 innings of work due to injury. MSU was outhit 11-4 in the contest.
 
The Maverick bats returned to form in the second game as MSU tallied nine runs in the first four innings and had three different players club homeruns. A three-run shot from sophomore Connor McCallum keyed a five-run inning for the Mavericks in the second, and they added two more in the third, including one off a solo bomb from junior Ben Keller. McCallum would pick up another RBI with a single in the fourth and junior Stetson Olson chipped in a sacrifice fly to extend the MSU advantage to 9-0.
 
Northern State found a way to push two across in the fifth, but a three-run, pinch-hit homerun from senior Cory Glieden in the bottom of the seventh cemented the 12-2 victory. Junior righthander T.J. Larson was efficient on the mound allowing a pair of hits, walks and runs, while registering seven strikeouts to improve to 3-0 on the year.
 
McCallum finished an outstanding series for MSU with a four-of-seven performance that included five RBI, a homerun and a run scored, while Keller ended the day one-of-two with three runs scored and an RBI.
 
The Mavericks (17-6, 6-2 NSIC) return to action Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. when they host the University of Mary at the MSU Baseball Complex.