Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MANKATO, Minn.--- The Minnesota State baseball team extended their win-streak to eight games with two victories over the University of Sioux Falls Cougars by way of 4-3 in an eight-inning game one, followed by a healthy 8-2 win in the second contest.

With the two victories, the Mavericks increased their record to 31-14 overall and 22-9 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

Minnesota State took game one's first lead in the bottom of the second inning  when senior Chase Lonetti knocked his first of seven hits on the day.  Lonetti made his way to second and eventually scored on a Jordan Hart sacrifice fly to go up 1-0. 

The Cougars tied the game up and took their only lead of the day over the course of the next two innings, tallying one run in the top of each of the third and fourth innings.

The Mavericks regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth with senior Kyle Toth drilling an RBI double to left center followed by a single from sophomore Josh Wenzel to score Toth from second base to make it a 3-2 ball game.

The Cougars managed to tie it at 3-3 in the top of the sixth, but it was MSU that prevailed in extras as senior Taylor Branstad came around to score from second on a Lonetti single through the right side to win the game.

Wenzel led the way for the Mavericks at the plate, chalking up four hits in five at bats with one run batted in while Lonetti went 3-5 with one run scored and one batted in. Sophomore Ryan Moffett also contributed with two hits and one run.

Sophomore Brody Rodning lasted 8.1 innings in his 11th start of the season. The left-hander allowed two earned runs on six-Cougar hits and struck out six in the no decision. Senior Dakota Belter came in to pitch the final-two outs in the top of the ninth inning, giving up one hit to collect the win, and move his record to 5-0 on the year.

It was all Minnesota State in game two as the Mavericks out hit the Cougars 14-7. 

MSU produced two runs in the bottom of the first inning and didn't look back after that as Toth and junior Eric Peterson came in to score.

The Cougars chipped one in during the top half of the second but sophomore Luke Waldek scored for the Mavericks in the bottom half of the inning for what proved to be the game winning run.  

Sioux Falls scored one more in the top of the fourth inning to make it interesting at 3-2 but Wenzel put a charge into a ball that sailed over the left-field fence for two RBI along with three more in the inning to cement the 8-2 victory.

Lonetti collected four more hits in the affair with two runs batted in while Waldek and Toth each produced three with Waldek picking up three RBI and one run.

On the hill, junior Josh Matheson got the win in increasing his record to 5-0 in 2016.  The right-hander tossed six-complete innings allowing two earned runs on six hits and striking out two.

The Mavericks wrap up their regular season tomorrow afternoon with a double header against Sioux Falls at the MSU Baseball Complex with Senior Day recognition commencing in between games.  First pitch for game one is slated for 12:00 p.m.