Box Score Mankato, Minn. --- Top-seeded Minnesota State used a dominating pitching performance by junior Jason Hoppe and a walkoff safety squeeze by junior Todd Standish to claim a 1-0 win in a 14-inning thriller over sixth-seeded Missouri Southern in the first round of the NCAA Central Region Tournament Thursday evening at Franklin Rogers Park.
 
MSU junior righthander Jason Hoppe stranded a runner at second base in the second, third and fourth innings, respectively, to keep the Lions off the board early on, while MSSU starter senior Brett Abell thwarted a potential Maverick rally in the bottom of the fourth inning as he worked around a pair of singles and a hit batter to strikeout sophomore outfielder Taylor Branstad and keep the contest scoreless.
 
The Mavericks threatened again in the bottom of the sixth when junior centerfielder Parker Sullivan blooped in a leadoff double before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt. However, MSSU junior Tee Helsel made a phenomenal play ranging to his left before throwing out Sullivan at the plate to end the threat and keep the game tied 0-0.
 
Hoppe and Abell continued their tremendous pitching duel with neither allowing a runner to reach third base over the next three innings to send the game to extra-innings.
 
In the top of the 11th, a one-out single and two-out error put MSSU runners at first and second and signaled the end of Hoppe’s night as he walked off to a standing ovation having pitched 40 and two-thirds consecutive scoreless innings. Senior righthander Mahlon Zimmerman came on to record the final out of the inning by inducing a flyout to right field.
 
The Mavericks got a runner to third base with no outs in the bottom of the 11th as sophomore catcher Nolan Johnson reached on an infield single and advanced on a throwing error by Helsel that went into the Lion bullpen. However, Abell was fearless on the mound as he recorded three straight strikeouts to end the inning, which was also the conclusion of his night.
 
MSSU roped back-to-back one out singles to left field in the top of the 13th inning and moved both runners to scoring position with a ground out to the second baseman, but Zimmerman came back and inducing a ground out to junior shortstop Todd Standish as the game remained scoreless.
 
In the bottom of the 14th inning, senior Mike Eckhart drew a leadoff hit by pitch, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and slide ot third on a ground out to second base. Then Standish laid a perfect safety squeeze bunt to the left of the mound that Helsel couldn’t handle scoring Eckhart and sending the Mavericks to the winner’s bracket.
 
Hoppe registered seven strikeouts with seven hits and two walks in 10 and two-thirds scoreless innings pitched, while Abell fanned 11 and surrendered five hits and a pair of walks in 11 shutout innings. Zimmerman tossed two and one-third innings while earning his sixth win of the season.
 
Johnson was three-for-six for MSU, while MSSU senior Sam Ryan went four-for-six for the Lions.
 
Now 36-8 overall, the Mavericks will play Missouri Western tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. in the second round of the NCAA Central Region Tournament back at Franklin Rogers Park.