Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SIOUX CITY, Iowa. --- Second-ranked Minnesota State used a pair of seventh-inning runs to earn a 3-1 victory in game one and exploded for nine runs in the third inning of the second game to claim a 10-4 victory in six innings over Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Sunday afternoon at Sioux City North High.
 
MSU takes the series three games to one and improves to 15-4 overall and 3-1 in the league play, while SMSU moves to 10-10 on the year and 1-3 within the conference.
 
The Purple and Gold jumped in front, 1-0, in the top of the third inning of game one. Junior Nolan Johnson (Bloomington, Minn.) led off the frame with a single, advanced to second on a bunt, and scored on a two-out RBI single by junior Max Waletich (Fairmont, Minn.) two batters later.
 
SMSU rallied to tie the contest in the bottom of the sixth after drawing a bases-loaded walk, but Minnesota State answered right back with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh.  After a hit by pitch to junior Connor McCallum (Shoreview, Minn.) and single by Johnson put runners on the corners, seniors Stetson Olson (Renton, Wash.) and Mike Andries (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) recorded back-to-back RBI singles scoring both juniors and giving MSU a 3-1 lead. Senior righthander Chris Williams (Omaha, Neb.) struck out a pair of Mustangs in the bottom of the frame to earn his third save of the season.
 
Senior righthander T.J. Larson (Prior Lake, Minn.) received a no-decision after fanning eight across 5.2 innings pitched and allowing six hits and an earned run. Freshman Tyler Frohwirth (Waukesha, Wis.) moved to 2-0 with 0.1 innings of work out of the bullpen.
 
Game two saw the Mavericks top the Mustangs, 10-4, in a game that was called after six innings due to darkness.
 
A solo home run by Olson - his second of the year - put MSU on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning, but SMSU countered with a two-run double from junior Ryan Engels in the bottom half to take a 2-1 lead.
 
Minnesota State answered right back with nine runs in the top of third inning as 10 consecutive Mavericks reached base in the frame. Johnson got things rolling with a two-run double, before Andries stroked a two-bagger with the bases loaded earning three RBI in the process. After Andries came across on a wild pitch, RBI singles by freshman Eric Peterson (Eagan, Minn.) and McCallum bookended a sacrifice fly from senior Todd Standish (Brookings, S.D.) extending MSU a 10-2 advantage.
 
SMSU pushed across a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth innings as Engels scored via a wild pitch and senior Patrick Rients tagged a solo home run to complete the 10-4 final.
 
Senior righthander Taylor Nawrocki (Fairmont, Minn.) moved to 4-0 after scattering five hits and three earned runs with five strikeouts over 5.0 innings of work.
 
Overall, Waletich paced the Maverick offense going five-of-seven (.714) with two doubles, a run and an RBI in the two-game set, while Johnson finished three-of-six (.500) with a double, two RBI and three runs scored. Andries drove in a team-high four RBI in a two-for-six (.33) performance, and Olson ended the day two-for-five (.400) with a home run, two RBI and two runs.
 
Minnesota State is scheduled to host Minnesota Duluth in the Mavericks' home opener next Saturday and Sunday at the MSU Baseball Complex. Saturday's doubleheader is slated to begin at 1:30 p.m.