Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MANKATO, Minn. --- Third-ranked Minnesota State dispatched of visiting Minnesota Crookston by margins of 14-0 and 14-1 in seven innings to earn a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference sweep in MSU's home opener Saturday afternoon at the MSU Baseball Complex.
 
The Mavericks' sweep of the Golden Eagles moves them to 26-7 overall and 14-4 in NSIC play, while the Golden Eagles now stand 1-27 on the year with a 0-16 ledger in league action.
 
In game one, the Mavericks started the scoring in the top of the second as senior Stetson Olson led off the inning with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly to center by sophomore Taylor Branstad. MSU pushed across five runs across in the fourth as freshman Eric Peterson led off the inning with a triple and scored off of a fielder's choice. Later in the inning, junior Nolan Johnson doubled down the right field line scoring fellow junior Max Waletich to give MSU the 5-0 advantage.
 
Peterson increased the lead to eight in the fourth inning hitting a two-run home run, his third of the season. After back-to-back walks to seniors Parker Sullivan and senior Todd Standish, Waletich spanked a single through the right side to bring the Maverick lead to 10-0. The Purple and Gold added two more runs in the inning as well as one run in both the sixth and seventh innings to take the game, 14-0.
 
Senior righthander Jason Hoppe pitched his second shutout on the season and now stands 7-1 on the season. The righthander tossed six scoreless innings striking out nine and allowing just three hits.  Sophomore righthander Josh Matheson came in to preserve the win striking out two of the three batters he faced.
 
The second affair saw Minnesota Crookston plate its lone run of the day in the bottom of the first inning to claim a one-run lead until the Mavericks scored three runs in the top of the third keyed by a two-run double to right-center from Waletich. Peterson added a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth to extend the MSU edge to 4-1.
 
MSU blew the contest open with 10 runs in the final three innings to claim the affair 14-1 in seven innings via the 10-run rule. Consecutive doubles by freshman Hunter Harnisch and Branstad were followed by three straight RBI single from Peterson, Standish and Waletich in a five-run fifth inning. A three-run sixth frame saw Sullivan tag a RBI single, before Peterson drilled a two-run triple to the gap in left-center. Harnisch picked up an additional pair of RBI in the seventh with a single to center field securing the 14-1 victory.
 
Senior Bryce Bellin moved to 1-1 after striking out four and scattering three hits, one walk and an earned run; while freshmen Tyler Frohwirth and Trevor Patterson each twirled an inning of scoreless relief.
 
The Mavericks and Golden Eagles will wrap up the four-game series with a twinbill tomorrow beginning at 12 p.m.