Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 BISMARCK N.D.--- The Minnesota State baseball team gave up two unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth inning in game one to drop the contest but rallied back in game two, collecting 11 runs on 14 hits to claim the victory.  

With the split, Minnesota State moved to 17-10 on the year and 8-5 in games against NSIC competition.

Minnesota State took the game's first lead in the top of the fourth inning when senior Taylor Branstad led off with a walk.  Sophomore Josh Wenzel then dropped a sacrifice bunt down the third-base line to move Branstad over to second.  Freshman Jordan Hart charged one up and hit a triple to right center, taking the 1-0 lead.  

After the Mavericks garnered just one hit in the top of the fifth inning, the Marauders plated two to take their first and final lead of the game on two hits and one error committed by the Mavericks.

When game one was all said and done, the Marauders had out hit the Mavericks by a 6-5 clip while MSU had two errors to UMary's zero.

Starting pitcher, junior Mitchell Bauer threw the complete game with six innings pitched.  The two runs that the Marauders scored were unearned, not counting against Bauer as he gave up six hits and struck out six.

The Mavericks got things going early in game two, when Branstad hit his third home run of the season to claim a 1-0 lead. Both teams plated one run each in the fourth inning before the Mavericks really opened things up with a four-run sixth.

In the sixth, junior Eric Peterson started with a one-out walk, and advanced to third on a single to left from Branstad and came around to score on the throw.  Sophomore Luke Waldek drew a walk to put runners on first and second while Hart came to bat and smashed his third home run of the season for three more Maverick runs.  

Minnesota State scored five more in the seventh and eighth innings to fill their 11 run margin that featured senior Kyle Toth, Peterson, and Waldek connecting for a triple, double and a triple to score two in the seventh.  Junior Hunter Harnisch and sophomore Ryan Moffettled off the eighth inning with back-to-back doubles to account for one of three Maverick runs in the top half. Moffet and Peterson accounted for the next and final two in the game for MSU. 

The Marauders didn't go down without a fight as they tallied two over the course of the final two innings off of Minnesota State's relief pitching, finalizing the score at 11-3.

Starting pitcher, junior Josh Matheson exited the game having pitched seven-complete innings and allowing just one earned run while allowing five hits and striking out seven.  Matheson also picked up his third win on the season, improving his record to 3-0 on the year.

Offensively, the Mavericks were led by Branstad who went 2-3 in game two with two runs and two RBI with his third homer on the year, while Peterson went 3-5 with four runs scored and two batted in with a double and a triple.  Hart also accounted for three RBI with his third homer of the season.

The Mavericks will resume action this coming Wednesday, April 13, with a double header against Northern Sun opponent Augustana University.  Game times are slated for 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the MSU Baseball Complex on the Campus of Minnesota State in Mankato, Minn.