Mankato, Minn. --- Minnesota State splits the first two games of the three-game series against Minot State, Friday afternoon at Franklin Rogers Park. The Mavericks won game one 5-4 and then the Beavers took game two 10-7 in 14 innings.
 
Minnesota State (12-6) collected its third walk-off win of the season in game one, but could not get another in game two against Minot State.
 
GAME 1 – Minnesota State 5, Minot State 4
 
Senior outfielder Jordan Hart came through in the clutch for the second straight day for the Mavericks as he hit his second walk-off of the season.

The Mavericks jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Beavers in the bottom of the first inning. Senior catcher Tom Imholte started the inning with a one-out infield single and then junior designated hitter Ty Buck smashed his team leading third triple of the season to the right center gap, scoring Imholte. Hart followed with a groundout to the right side, allowing Buck to come home.
 
No one scored again until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Minnesota State put two more runs on the board. Junior left fielder Ty Denzer doubled to open the inning and then scored on a Beaver error, allowing senior center fielder Tyler Berg to reach second base. Imholte then collected a two-out single that plated Berg.
 
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Cam Kline was cruising through six innings and came out in the seventh to finish the game. Junior catcher Mason Gifford reached on a Maverick error to open the inning and then senior third baseman Darrel Doll doubled, advancing Gifford to third. After a strikeout, freshman pinch hitter Jackson Pokorney singled in Doll to cut into the deficit. Kline was replaced by senior right-hander Bobby Gauvreau after Kline loaded the bases with a hit by pitch and a walk. On Gauvreau's first pitch, senior right-fielder Michael Borst singled to the left side to score two and tie the game.
 
The Mavericks found themselves in a position to walk it off for the second straight day. Junior pinch hitter Jack Mattson led off the inning with a single and then freshman Jack Friedges came in to pinch run for Mattson afterwards. Junior second baseman Teddy Petersen moved Friedges up on a sacrifice bunt and Buck walked to put runners on first and second with two outs. Down zero balls and two strikes, Hart smashed a double off the right field fence that scored Friedges and ended the game in walk-off fashion.
 
Hart finished the game going three-for-four with two runs batted in and Imholte also had a multi-hit game with two hits and an RBI.
 
Kline did not factor into the decision, but finished the game with a career-high 14 strikeouts and only allowed one walk. In six and two-thirds innings of work, Kline allowed four runs (zero earned runs) on five hits. Gauvreau (1-1) received his first win of the season after getting the last out in the seventh inning.

The Beavers' starter, right-hander Andres Hackman, also did not receive a decision as he went six innings and gave up four runs (two earned runs) on six hits. Hackman finished with six strikeouts and no walks. Senior right-hander Jack Gamba (0-2) took the loss coming out of the pen for Minot State after giving up the walk-off hit. Gamba went two and a third innings with a strikeouts and a walk.
 
GAME 2 – Minot State 10, Minnesota State 7
 
The second game of the doubleheader lasted nearly four and a half hours with 14 innings played before Minot State came away with the win.

The Mavericks took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the opening frame for the second straight game as Imholte got the inning started with a one out single up the middle. Buck walked and the left-handed hitting Hart singled to the opposite field to plate Imholte and take the 1-0 lead. Freshman shortstop Nick Altermatt followed with another single to load the bases. Freshman third baseman Carter Elliott then skied a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Buck to tag up and score.
 
The Beavers got a run back in the top of the third inning when Gifford lifted a sacrifice fly of his own and Borst scored on the play.
 
Minot State then tied the game up in the top of the fifth inning when Borst hit a solo shot to left center field off Mavericks sophomore starting pitcher, Trevor Divinski.
 
Freshman Jake Collins opened the top of the sixth inning with a double that chased Divinski from the game and was replaced by junior right-hander Hunter Even. A sacrifice bunt moved Collins to third and then junior Ryley Humrighouse singled to left field to take the 3-2 lead. The Beavers added another run in the inning as senior first baseman Wyatt Schlosser doubled in Humrighouse.
 
Minot State cushioned their lead in the top of the seventh inning as Gifford doubled and ended up scoring on a wild pitch by freshman right-hander Kyle Nordby, who replaced Even at the beginning of the inning.
 
Minnesota State stormed back in the bottom of the seventh inning for five runs and batted through the entire lineup. Mattson led off the inning with a double and Petersen then singled up the middle following a Kline strikeout to score Mattson. Imholte reached on a Beaver error before Buck blasted a double to left center field that allowed both Petersen and Imholte to score. Buck advanced to third on a passed ball, then Altermatt walked and stole second base. Elliott brought both Buck and Altermatt in on a single to give the Mavericks a 7-5 lead.
 
With Norby still in the game, the Beavers were able to tie the game up in the top of the ninth inning. Borst began the inning with a single and Gifford brought him home on a two-run home run to right field.
 
Teams were scoreless until the top of the 14th inning when Minot State broke through. Gauvreau came in at the top of the 10th inning and was great until there were runners on first and third with one out in the 14th. Junior right-hander Jack Rasmussen came in from the pen and promptly gave up a three-run home run to Borst. The Beavers held on for the win in the bottom of the inning.
 
Imholte, Hart, Altermatt and Carter all had two hits in game two. Minot State's Borst ended the game going six-for-six at the plate with two walks and four RBI.
 
Senior right-handed starter Reilly O'Rourke went six and a third innings and gave up six runs (four earned runs) on eight hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Senior left-hander Aaron Bernal gave up a run in two-thirds of an inning of work on a hit and a walk. Junior right-hander Aaron Kern, sophomore left-hander Sam Larson, Gamba and junior right-hander Matt Sartwell combined to go the next seven scoreless innings. They combined for eight strikeouts and five walks with Gamba (1-2) collecting the win and Sartwell (1) earning the save.
 
Divinski went five innings and gave up three runs on eight hits and three walks, while striking out four batters. Even gave up a run, Nordby gave up three runs, Gauvreau gave up two runs and Rassmussen gave up one run in the loss with Gauvreau (1-2) receiving the loss.
 
The Mavericks and the Beavers will face off in the rubber game tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m., at Franklin Rogers Park.