MARSHALL, Minn. -- The 19th-rated Minnesota State baseball team swept a doubleheader against Southwest Minnesota State by scores of a 4-2 and 4-0 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play, Tuesday at Legion Field.

Three different weather-related delays in Marshall were not enough to hold Minnesota State, now 17-2 overall and 15-1 in conference games, back from extending their new winning streak to three games when they took a pair of games from Southwest Minnesota State (7-9, 5-8 NSIC), Tuesday.

GAME ONE (7 INNINGS) | Minnesota State 4, Southwest Minnesota State 2

Mustangs' centerfielder Brodie Smith hit a leadoff double to get SMSU going in the bottom of the first. Following him up, Nathan Kuhn singled to right and made it 1-0 SMSU when Smith scored on the play.

In the second, the Mavericks got on the board when junior first baseman Ross Indlecoffer singled down the leftfield line and drove in Nick Altermatt to tie the game, 1-1.

MSU took the lead in the third when Adam Schneider grounded out to second, allowing Jack Waletich to score from third, making it 2-1. Then, Altermatt lined out deep enough to center for a sacrifice fly that scored Teddy Petersen. As the surge was about to come to a hault with two outs and Maverick catcher Ben Livorsi hitting a fly ball to center, Brodie Smith dropped the ball that would've gotten SMSU out of the inning and Joey Werner scored as a result. The score was 4-1 Mavericks through four frames at Legion Field.

The three-run deficit was cut to two in the fourth when Mustangs' Derek Smith scored on a wild pitch. After four innings in Marshall, the score was 4-2 MSU.

After a two-hour weather delay in Marshall, the Mavericks finished hitting in the seventh and senior closer Hunter Even came in for the bottom half and recorded his fifth save of the season with a flawless bottom half on the hill. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Collin Denk earned his fourth consecutive win in his fourth start of the season after pitching six complete innings of two-run baseball in Tuesday's first game. Denk allowed nine hits and struck out six SMSU batters while surrendering no walks. 

For the Mustangs, Jeremiah Van De Steeg, now 0-2 this season, started on the hill and went three innings in the loss. Van De Steeg gave up three hits and four runs (three earned). He walked a pair and struck out one MSU batter.

Although the Mavericks came out on top in runs, the Mavericks hits battle went 9-6 in favor of the Mustangs. Defensively, MSU was stellar with no errors opposed to SMSU's one in game one.

GAME TWO (9 INNINGS) | Minnesota State 4, Southwest Minnesota State 0

Livorsi had game two's first RBI that put the Mavericks up 1-0 in the first inning when he singled to center and scored Schneider. 

In the second inning, Waletich had an RBI double that was soon followed up by a Petersen RBI single up the middle. Through two innings, the MSU held a 3-0 advantage.

Maverick leftfielder Ty Denzer found himself on the scoresheet in the third inning after he had a base knock down the leftfield line that scored Hunter Ranweiler and made it 4-0

Despite having the second game's only pair of errors, the Mavericks claimed the hits battle 11-4 over the Mustangs.

Moving to 3-0 on the season was MSU right-handed starter Brendan Knoll who pitched seven complete innings of shutout baseball in the Mavericks 17th win of the season. Knoll allowed four hits and a walk while striking out seven.

For the Mustangs Hayden Moval, now 0-1, pitched 3.1 innings, allowed nine hits for four runs and struck out two.

Minnesota State heads to Minot State to take on the Beavers for a three-game series this weekend starting with a doubleheader at noon, Saturday.

-30-