MANKATO, Minn. -- Rated 13th in this week's NCBWA Division II Poll, Minnesota State (33-7) defeated Sioux Falls (21-20) 10-4 to open the first-round with a best-of-three series in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Baseball Tournament, Thursday at Bowyer Field.
Senior right-handed pitcher Collin Denk did what he needed to do as the Mavericks' starting arm to ensure a game-one win. In doing so, he moved to a perfect 9-0 in nine starts this season. With the bat, senior outfielder Joey Werner was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle while sporting a 3-for-5 afternoon with a run scored and a pair of RBI.
In the opening inning, the Mavericks pounced on the Cougars with six runs as senior outfielder Ty Denzer and senior designated hitter Mitch Frederick hit RBI singles. After Denzer roped one through the left side and Frederick scored another with a single to right, senior catcher Ben Livorsi had the back-breaking hit, his fifth home run of the season was a three-run shot that made it a 6-0 game in the first inning.
The Cougars got on the board in the next half inning with an RBI double off the fence in right field from Tyler Blackburn. After two innings at Bowyer Field, it was a 6-1 game in favor of MSU.
In the third inning, USF scored three runs on three hits with help from an error. An RBI single through the right side from Grant Lung shrunk the deficit to 6-2. The Cougars made it a 6-4 game after an MSU error allowed one run to score unearned before another came in on a sacrifice fly hit by Trey Hubers.
After senior second baseman Teddy Petersen drove in one with a single, Werner hit his team-high 10th home run of the season for two more runs as part of a three-run bottom of the fourth for the Mavericks which extended their lead to 9-4.
A ground ball with no outs on the board resulted in a double play and scored one more run for the Mavericks moving them to a 10-4 lead in the seventh.
MSU hung on to win game one of the NSIC Tournament 10-4 over USF at Bowyer Field. Senior right-handed pitcher Jon Ludwig threw four scoreless innings to close out the game for his first save of the season in the win. MSU outhit USF 12-8 while the Cougars had three errors to the Mavericks one miscue in the field.
Denk, now a perfect 9-0 in nine starts this season, pitched five complete innings in Saturday's win. The Cougars got seven hits and four runs (two earned) against Denk while he walked one and struck out five others. In relief, Ludwig earned the first save of his career. He pitched the final four innings allowing one hit, walking one and striking out five.
For the Cougars, right-handed pitcher Keenahn Coyle, now 3-3 this season, got the loss in Thursday's game. Coyle surrendered nine runs (three earned) on nine hits, walked two and struck out two others.
The Mavericks and Cougars will play game two of the best-of-three series at Bowyer Field, Friday at noon. If necessary, game three will be played following game two to determine the series winner.
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