Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ABERDEEN, S.D. --- Eighth-ranked Minnesota State outscored Northern State 31-5 to maintain first place in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and sweep the four-game series Saturday afternoon at Fossum Field.
 
The Mavericks now stand 34-7 overall and 22-4 within the conference, while the Wolves drop to 19-14 on the year and 12-10 within the league.
 
MSU pounced on NSU with four runs in the top of the first inning of game one. Freshman Eric Peterson drilled a leadoff home run, his fourth of the year, to left field, before junior Nolan Johnson tagged a RBI double. Senior Stetson Olson capped the frame with his eighth four-bagger of the year, a two-run job over the fence in left.
 
Northern State plated a pair of runs in the second inning, but the Purple and Gold responded with two of its own in the third and another in the fourth to stretch its lead to 7-2. MSU blew the game open with seven tallies in the top of the fifth inning. Senior Todd Standish opened the frame with a RBI single, before Johnson tagged a two-run single to right. Olson followed with a two-run double to the gap in right-center, and the Mavericks added two additional run-producing singles in the inning.
 
The Mavericks poured it on with four runs compared to one for NSU over the last two innings keyed by a two-run home run from Johnson and a RBI double by senior Jason Hoppe to secure the 18-3 triumph.
 
On the hill, senior righthander T.J. Larson improved to 5-2 on the season after registering three strikeouts against six hits and two earned runs over four innings.
 
The second contest saw the Mavericks jump in front when Peterson scored on a wild pitch in the top of first, but NSU retaliated with a run in the first and second frames to take a 2-1 lead. From there it was all Minnesota State as the Mavericks scored 12 runs over the final four innings to win 13-2 in seven innings.
 
Olson drilled a two-run double to highlight a three-run third inning, before MSU added two more in the fourth, including one via a RBI double from junior Max Waletich. MSU produced four runs in the sixth with a pair courtesy of a two-run home run by Olson and capped the contest with three tallies in the seventh highlighted by a two-run single to right field by Standish.
 
Senior righthander Taylor Nawrocki elevated his ledger to 6-0 by twirling his first complete game of the season. Nawrocki scattered five hits, two walks and a pair of earned runs while striking out two over seven innings for MSU.
 
The Mavericks return to action Wednesday with a showdown against rival St. Cloud State at the MSU Baseball Complex. First pitch is slated for 1:30 p.m.