Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 FAYETTE, Iowa. --- Third-ranked Minnesota State allowed just four runs over 16 innings of play to sweep host Upper Iowa and extend its winning streak to a season-high eight games in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Wednesday afternoon at Robertson Woods Field.
 
The Mavericks now stand 21-4 overall and 9-1 in the NSIC, while Upper Iowa moves to 8-9 on the year and 1-3 within the league.
 
Minnesota State used a dominate pitching performance by junior righthander Mathias Butala (Cold Spring, Minn.) to collect a 3-0 victory in game one. Butala fanned five Peacocks and scattered just four hits over seven innings of scoreless ball to pick up his first complete-game shutout and improve to 2-0 on the year.
 
MSU capitalized on a pair of UIU errors to push across an unearned run in the top of the fourth to claim a 1-0 edge before adding two insurance runs in the seventh. There, a RBI single to centerfield by junior Max Waletich (Fairmont, Minn.) and sacrifice fly from senior Stetson Olson (Renton, Wash.) plated seniors Parker Sullivan (Rapid City, S.D.) and Todd Standish (Brookings, S.D.), respectively, while providing Butala with more than enough run support to earn the victory.
 
The second affair saw the Peacocks strike first in the bottom of the first inning when senior Jose Aguirre tagged an RBI double to the gap in right-center.
 
Minnesota State retaliated with three runs of its own in the top of the fourth on three consecutive run-producing hits. Sullivan began the rally with an RBI single scoring Waletich from third, before Standish drive in senior Mike Andries (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) with a single to left-center. Freshman Eric Peterson (Eagan, Minn.) completed the frame with his third double of the afternoon scoring Sullivan from second.
 
MSU extended the lead to 4-2 in the top of the seventh when Waletich drew a walk, advanced to third on consecutive wild pitches, and scored after a sacrifice fly to centerfield off the bat of sophomore Taylor Branstad (Apple Valley, Minn.). However, the Peacocks responded with a pair of runs in their half of the eighth, keyed by three singles, to knot the contest at 4-4, which held until the 10th inning.
 
After Sullivan lead off the 10th with a single and advanced via a bunt and wild pitch, junior Nolan Johnson (Bloomington, Minn.) lined a RBI single to left field for what proved to be the game-winning run. Olson followed that by reaching on a UIU error - which scored Johnson all the way from first - before Waletich cranked a RBI triple scoring Olson and producing a 7-4 lead that senior righthander Chris Williams (Omaha, Neb.) upheld in the bottom of the inning for his sixth save of the year.
 
Junior Matt Geislinger (Watkins, Minn.) struck out four and allowed two earned runs over 3.0 innings to move to 2-0, while sophomore Josh Matheson (Centennial, Minn.) received a no-decision after fanning eight and surrendering a pair of earned runs in 6.0 innings of work.
 
Minnesota State returns to the diamond as it continues its road swing with a four-game series at Augustana this Saturday and Sunday. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. Saturday in Sioux Falls.