Box Score AUBURNDALE, Fla.--- The Minnesota State baseball program won its fourth game on the year Saturday afternoon in Auburndale, Fla., against the Ohio Dominican Panthers.  

Saturday's match up marked Minnesota State's first game of the RussMatt Invitational. 

With the win, the Mavericks improved to 5-2 on the year and will play six more contests before their annual spring trip to the Sun Shine State wraps up.

The eighth-rated Mavericks got things going in the second inning when sophomore Josh Wenzel led off with one-out a double to right.  Wenzel was eventually plated when freshman Jordan Hart drilled a two-out double to left field, to get the first of nine Maverick runs in.

The Mavericks notched two more in the top of the third inning when senior Taylor Branstad belted a one-out homer to right field right after junior Eric Peterson singled to left to go give the Mavericks a three-run cushion. The Panthers responded with one run in the bottom half of the frame Jacob Horsley led off with a single up the middle, followed by a one-out Kyle Burson single to left.  ODU later loaded the bases with a walk, eventually scoring Horsley on a one-out fielder's choice play to second base.

ODU scored one run in each of the next two innings to tie the game up at 3-3 before MSU regained the lead in the top of the sixth with two runs.  Generating the two runs was a single from Branstad, a double from Wenzel. Branstad was tossed out at home trying to score from third as sophomore Luke Waldek slapped a grounder to ODU's third basemen. Junior catcher, Hunter Harnisch came up with a big single through the right side with two outs to score both Wenzel and Waldek to take the lead.

The Maverick provided some insurance in the top of the seventh with four runs forged by three singles from senior Kyle Toth, Peterson, and Waldek, combined with three walks by Branstad, Wenzel and sophomore Ryan Moffett and Harnisch getting pegged.  All activity finally led to runs by Toth, Peterson, Branstad, and Wenzel before for the inning was complete.

Ohio Dominican threatened with one run in the bottom of the ninth and final inning, but that wasn't enough as the Mavericks offense overpowered the Panthers by outhitting them by a clip of 13-6. 

Maverick starting pitcher, junior Mitchell Bauer tossed five complete innings for his first win of the season in striking out five hitters and allowing three-earned runs on four Panther hits.

Minnesota State will resume play Sunday afternoon against Florida Southern at 1:00 p.m. EST., in Lakeland, Fla., at Henley Field.