MANKATO, Minn. -- Rated tied for 11th in this week's NCBWA Division II Poll, Minnesota State (27-6, 23-5 NSIC) took down Concordia-St. Paul (12-20, 8-18 NSIC) twice by scores of 4-3 and 7-1 in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader, Sunday at Bowyer Field.
GAME ONE (7 INNINGS) | Minnesota State 4, Concordia-St. Paul 3
The Golden Bears took Sunday's first lead when Nick Thimsen scored from third on a groundout double play. The run was unearned after an MSU error allowed Thimsen to get into scoring position. After one inning at Bowyer Field, the score was 1-0 in favor of CSP.
In the bottom of the second, senior centerfielder Jack Waletich doubled to left-center and scored Nick Altermatt from first to tie the game, 1-1.
Freshman infielder Adam Schneider put the Mavericks up by two in the third with his fourth home run of the season, a two-run home run, to right-center that also scored Joey Werner and gave MSU a 3-1 lead.
CSP came within one of MSU, shrinking the deficit to 3-2 in the fifth when Thimsen hit a ball over the leftfield fence.
The Golden Bears edged the Mavericks 8-7 in hits during game one. Each side had an error.
On the mound for the Mavericks, Jon Ludwig moved to a 7-1 record with a win in game one, Sunday. Ludwig allowed two runs (one earned) while surrendering four hits. The Mavericks' right-handed starter walked one and struck out seven. MSU closer Hunter Even inherited a bases-loaded jam in the sixth and escaped with a pair of strikeouts. In the seventh, Even allowed one earned run on three hits, but overcame adversity to lock down his team-high eighth save of the season.
Golden Bear starting southpaw Luke DeGrammont (1-6) got the loss after going 4.2 innings in game one. He gave up five hits, three runs, walked two and struck out six.
GAME TWO (9 INNINGS) | Minnesota State 7, Concordia-St. Paul 1
Altermatt got the Maverick bats going early and often in the second game. In the first frame, the Mavericks' shortstop singled through the left side to score Schneider. MSU carried a 1-0 lead through the first inning.
The second inning saw Werner drive Mikey Fredrickson with a single up the middle that made it 2-0.
Altermatt gave one a ride as the lead-off hitter in the third. His fourth home run of the season, which flew out to left-center, gave MSU a 3-0 lead.
Thimsen continued to make noise for the Golden Bears in the fourth hitting his second home run of the afternoon, a solo shot to left, to make it a 3-1 game.
Senior Teddy Petersen added an insurance run with a single through the left side to score Mikey Gottschalk from second in the fifth inning, making it a 4-1 MSU. Then, Werner dropped in a bloop single to score another pair and make it 6-1.
Hunter Ranweiler rounded out the scoring at 7-1 when he hit a single up the middle in the sixth to earn pinch-hit RBI.
MSU was outhit CSP 14-3 in game two. Both sides had one miscue in the field again in the form of an error.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Colin Denk made his seventh start of the season and upped his record to 7-1 this season with a win in game two. Denk allowed one run on three hits over six complete innings and struck out eight while not surrendering a walk. In relief, right-handed pitcher Nathan Culley pitched the final three innings efficiently to earn his first save of the season. Culley struck out seven in three perfect innings in which he never surrendered a hit, walk or run.
For the Golden Bears in game two, right-handed pitcher Griffin Lapp took the ball before falling to 2-3 this season allowing seven hits for three runs (two earned) over three innings pitched. Lapp walked one and struck out another.
The Mavericks rematch the Golden Bears tomorrow at noon to conclude the three-game series at Bowyer Field.
-30-
