Box Score AUBURNDALE, Fla. --- Second-ranked Minnesota State exploded for nine runs over the first two innings en route to an 11-5 victory over Saint Joseph's (Ind.) on Lake Myrtle #1 at the Russ Matt Invitation Wednesday afternoon.
 
MSU improves to 11-3 on the year, while the Pumas drop to 4-8 overall.
 
The Mavericks gave senior righthander Jason Hoppe (Rice, Minn.) a four-run lead in the top of the first inning began when senior Todd Standish (Brookings, S.D.) scored on a wild pitch with one down. Senior Mike Andries (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) extended the lead to two when he drove in junior Nolan Johnson (Bloomington, Minn.) with a two-out single. After a walk and hit batter, junior Connor McCallum (Shoreview, Minn.) plated Andries with a base hit of his own, before junior Max Waletich (Fairmont, Minn.) scored on a wild pitch.
 
Minnesota State increased the advantage to 9-0 in the top of the second with five runs, all scored with no outs. Senior Stetson Olson (Renton, Wash.) tagged a two-run single with the bases loaded, then Andries belted a three-run home run - his second of the year - over the wall in right field.
 
After a RBI single by senior Craig Austgen got SJC on the board and another Puma base hit loaded the bases with no outs in the top fo the third, Hoppe responded by inducing a pop out and striking out the heart of the Saint Joseph's lineup to deny the rally and hold the lead at 9-1.
 
Freshman Eric Peterson (Eagan, Minn.) clubbed his first four-bagger of the year in the top of the seventh, but the Pumas answered back with four runs in the bottom of the eighth courtesy of a two-run single by freshman Ryan Keck and a two-run homer from senior Angelo Burrage running the score to 10-5 Mavericks.
 
Senior Parker Sullivan (Rapid City, S.D.) solidified the 11-5 final in the top of the ninth with an RBI single that plated Peterson from third.
 
Hoppe moved to 4-0 on the year and tied a season-high with 11 strikeouts while allowing seven hits and four earned runs across 7.1 innings of work.  Freshman Zach Aring (1-1) took the loss for SJC after allowing two walks, five hits and seven earned hits in one innings on the hill.
 
Four Mavericks notched multiple hits in the affair led by Andries who finished two-for-five with the home run, two runs and four RBI.  Johnson ended two-of-four with two runs, and Sullivan finished two-of-five with a run and RBI. Freshman Kevin Kramer (Watkins, Minn.) also went two-for-five for MSU.


Minnesota State will conclude its spring trip tomorrow when it challenges Alderson Broaddus at 11:30 a.m. CST.