Box Score St. Cloud, Minn. --- Ninth-ranked Minnesota State used a four-run seventh inning and complete-game shutout by senior Harvey Martin - the NSIC Pitcher of the Year - to claim a 5-0 victory in the opening round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament on a wet and chilly Wednesday evening at Faber Field.
 
The contest was scoreless through the first six and a half innings as MSU senior righthander Harvey Martin and UMD senior Jordan Smith were both on point from the start. MSU threatened in the bottom of the fifth inning as a pair of Mavericks moved into scoring position off two Bulldog errors, but Smith induced a ground out to second base keeping the game tied at 0-0. Martin used a strikeout and a shallow flyout to centerfield to strand a runner at second base in the top of the fifth and seventh inning, respectively.
 
Sophomore catcher Nolan Johnson broke up Smith’s no-hit bid with a one-out single through the left side in the top of the seventh before junior first baseman Stetson Olson belted his eighth home run of the year over the right-center field giving MSU a two-run lead. Senior second baseman Lucas Skjefte followed that with a single to left-center before junior Mike Andries tagged an RBI-double that bounced off the fence in centerfield. After a sacrifice bunt advanced Andries to third, junior shortstop Todd Standish used a perfect drag bunt down the third base line to push the Maverick lead to 4-0 through seven innings of play.
 
MSU gave Martin a five-run lead in the bottom of the eighth when sophomore outfielder Taylor Branstad was hit with a pitch and pinch ran for by senior Cory Glieden, who stole second base. Glieden moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch by the UMD reliever to complete the 5-0 final.
 
Martin was stellar from start to finish as he improved to 7-0 with his third complete game of the year. The senior scattered seven hits, without allowing a walk, and struck out 11 UMD batters in nine innings on the mound. Smith took the loss for the Bulldogs after allowing four earned runs and five hits, while striking out four in seven innings of work.
 
At the plate, Olson was one-for-four with a run, two RBI and a home run, while Andries went one-for-three with a run, an RBI and a double. UMD freshman Alex Wojciechowski - the NSIC Player of the Year - went three-for-four on the day.
 
Now 32-8 overall, Minnesota State advances to the second round and will play the winner of Wayne State and Augustana, whose game was suspended due to rain with WSC up 4-3 in the top of the eighth, tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. at Dick Putz Field in St. Cloud, Minn.