Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MANKATO, Minn. --- Eighth-ranked Minnesota State touched home six times in each contest to sweep a doubleheader over host Northern State in a battle between two of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference's top-four teams Friday afternoon at Fossum Field.
 
The sweep elevates the Mavericks to 32-7 overall and 20-4 in league play which places them in the league lead, while the Wolves move to 19-12 on the year and 12-8 within the conference.
 
Minnesota State pounced on NSU early with five runs over the first two frames of game one. A pair of RBI singles by junior Max Waletich and senior Stetson Olson bookended a run on a fielder's choice from junior Connor McCallum in the first inning, before senior Todd Standish and Waletich drove in two tallies in the top of the second inning.
 
Waletich drove in his third run of the game with a double to right field in the fourth inning. NSU attempted to mount a comeback with a sacrifice fly in the fourth and another run in the sixth, but senior righthander Jason Hoppe twirled his fourth complete game of the year to improve to 8-1 for MSU in the 6-2 win. Hoppe registered seven strikeouts against six hits, two earned runs and a walk.
 
The second contest saw Northern State strike first in the bottom of the second on a RBI single up the middle by junior Buddy Traxler. MSU answered right back in the third on a trio of run-producing doubles from Standish, McCallum and Johnson to claim a 3-1 lead.
 
That score held until the Mavericks earned some insurance runs in the final two innings as sophomore Taylor Branstad drove in a run with a diamond cutter in the eighth, before Waletich and Johnson plated two more Maverick runs in the top of the ninth securing the 6-1 triumph.
 
Senior righthander Bryce Bellin moved to 2-1 after striking out nine while allowing seven hits, one walk and an earned run over six innings of work. Freshman righthander Mitchell Bauer fanned four over two scoreless innings of relief, and junior lefthander Matt Geislinger set down the Wolves in order in the ninth recording two strikeouts of his own.
 
For the day, Waletich ended the day five-for-nine with a double, two runs and three RBI; while Standish finished three-for-six with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored. Johnson was four-for-nine with three two-baggers, three runs and two RBI.
 
Minnesota State and Northern State will conclude the four-game series with a twinbill tomorrow afternoon beginning at 12 p.m.