Minnetonka, Minn. --- For the second consecutive day, Minnesota State baseball swept a neutral site Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader with U-Mary. The Mavericks won game one 4-3 and game two 6-3 at Veterans Field on Sunday.
 
With the doubleheader sweep, the Mavericks (9-4, 4-0 NSIC) swept a four-game series with U-Mary (4-9, 0-4 NSIC). The Mavericks outscored the Marauders 19-7 over the two days.
 
GAME 1 – Minnesota State 4, U-Mary 3
 
In the bottom of the seventh inning with one out and runners on first and second base, and the score tied 3-3, junior center fielder Josh Wenzel hit a ground ball to the shortstop, who tossed the ball to second for a fielder's choice. The second baseman attempted to turn a double play, but his throw to first base was errant, and sophomore left fielder Tyler Berg came around to score the decisive run as the Mavericks defeated U-Mary 4-3.    
 
After neither team scored in the first two innings, Minnesota State jumped ahead 3-0 in the third. After a Marauder defender made an error to extend the inning, junior first baseman Dylan Dresel rocketed a three-run home run – his first of the season and the 14th of his Maverick career – over the left-field fence. Sophomore right fielder Jordan Hart and senior third baseman Eric Peterson scored on the play.
 
Sophomore right-hander Jon Ludwig held the Marauders off of the scoreboard through the first five innings, but U-Mary broke through with two runs – one earned – in the sixth inning. Ludwig, who worked out of further trouble, held the Marauders to two runs – one earned – on two hits and one walk, while striking out seven over his six innings. Ludwig did not factor into the decision.  
 
The Marauders tied the game with a single run in the top of the seventh off of junior right-hander NIck Belzer (1-0), which set the stage for the Mavericks' walk-off win in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Belzer earned the win and Jake Johnson, who started for the Marauders, picked up the loss. Johnson gave up four runs – none earned –  on six hits in 6-1/3 innings. Johnson struck out three and walked two.
 
GAME 2 – Minnesota State 6, U-Mary 3
 
Senior right-hander Mitchell Bauer (3-0) held U-Mary to three runs in a nine-inning complete game, and senior third baseman Eric Peterson drove in three runs on a solo home run and a two-run double as the Mavericks won game two over U-Mary 6-3.
 
Peterson put the Mavericks up 1-0 with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the first inning. On the play, Peterson scored his 177th career run – the third most all-time in program history. Peterson is three runs behind Kosuke Hattori (2007-10), who scored 180 career runs, and five runs behind Eric Lonquist (1999-02), who is first all-time with 182 runs scored.
 
After U-Mary tied the game in the third inning, Peterson came through again with a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore left fielder Tyler Berg and freshman second baseman Tommy McDonald scored on the play.
 
U-Mary responded with a single run in the top of the sixth, but Minnesota State scored the next three runs to go up 6-2. The Mavericks score one run in the sixth and two in the eighth – all on passed balls.   
 
U-Mary rallied in the ninth and scored a run to make the score 6-3, but Bauer struck out the final batter of the game to secure the win and the series sweep over the Marauders.
 
Bauer held the Marauders to three runs – all earned – on eight hits in nine innings. He walked three and struck out 11.
 
Isaac Saad (0-1), who surrendered four runs – three earned – on seven hits, while walking one and striking out four, was the pitcher of record on the short end.
 
Minnesota State is scheduled to return to the diamond for an NSIC series against Minnesota Duluth next weekend at MSU Baseball Complex.