Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MAUSTON, Wis. --- Fourth-ranked Minnesota State used a complete-game shutout by All-American Jason Hoppe in the first affair and a five-run eighth inning in game two to earn a come-from-behind victory and series sweep over Minnesota Duluth in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Sunday afternoon at the Woodside Sports Complex.
 
MSU improves to 17-4 overall and 5-1 in NSIC play via its 3-0 and 8-6 triumphs Sunday, while UMD drops to 4-10 on the year and 0-6 in conference competition.
 
Game one featured a tight pitching duel by MSU senior righthander Jason Hoppe (Rice, Minn.) and UMD sophomore Bo Hellquist.
 
Both pitchers traded scoreless frames until the bottom of the fifth when senior Stetson Olson (Renton, Wash.) launched his third home run of the season scoring senior Todd Standish (Brookings, S.D.) and junior Nolan Johnson (Bloomington, Minn.) - who reached on a hit by pitch and walk, respectively - and providing the Mavericks with a 3-0 run lead that proved decisive.
 
Hoppe improved to 6-0 by allowing just four hits and striking out seven to earn his first shutout of the season in his second consecutive complete-game. Hellquist (0-3) allowed four hits, three earned runs and a pair of walks over six innings with six strikeouts.
 
The second contest saw Minnesota Duluth jump in front of MSU, 4-2, after two innings of play. UMD freshman Matt Vogt tagged a two-run double with two down in the top of the first, before Standish answered with a solo homer in the bottom half, his second of the year. Sophomore Alex Wojciechowski came back with a two RBI single in the top of the second for the Bulldogs, again with two outs, and MSU sophomore Taylor Branstad (Apple Valley, Minn.) plated junior Connor McCallum (Shoreview, Minn.) in the bottom of the frame.
 
Branstad picked up his second RBI of the day with a two-out double in the bottom of fourth scoring junior Max Waletich (Fairmont, Minn.), but UMD countered in the fifth as Wojciechowski came across for an unearned run stretching the Bulldog lead to 5-3.
 
UMD maintained that lead until the Mavericks exploded for five runs in the bottom of the eighth off sophomore reliever Ryan Lakin. Junior Parker Sullivan (Rapid City, S.D.) began the rally with a leadoff double and scored as Standish reached on a miscue by the Bulldog shortstop.  Two batters later, Olson put runners at the corners with a base hit, before Waletich brought the Mavericks even with an RBI single on his second hit of the game. After McCallum reached on a fielder's choice, freshman Eric Peterson (Eagan, Minn.) gave MSU the lead with an RBI single, before Branstad collected his third and fourth RBI of the contest with his third knock of affair stretching the MSU advantage to 8-6.
 
Senior F (Omaha, Neb.) captured his fourth save of the season in the top of the ninth despite surrendering a run as MSU claimed the 8-6 win and series sweep.
Freshman Trevor Patterson (Chanhassen, Minn.) earned his first career win by striking out two and allowing just two hits over three shutout innings of relief. Senior righthander Bryce Bellin (Kimberly, Wis.) received a no decision as he surrendered five runs (four earned) and eight hits with four punchouts in five innings on the hill.
 
Overall, Branstad finished three-for-five (.600) with a team-high four RBI and a double, while Waletich also went three-for-five adding a double, RBI and run scored.
 
The Mavericks and Bulldogs will conclude the four-game series tomorrow beginning at 12 p.m., back at the Woodside Sports Complex.