MANKATO, Minn. -- Rated in a tie for 11th in last week's NCBWA Division II Poll, Minnesota State (28-6, 24-5 NSIC) cruised past Concordia-St. Paul (12-21, 8-19 NSIC) 18-4 in seven innings during a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference contest, Monday at Bowyer Field.
Mavericks senior outfielder Joey Werner supplied the big bat with a 3-for-3 afternoon that saw him finish with five RBI. The product of Hastings High School got MSU's offense going early when he hit a two-run home run in the opening inning to make it 2-0 right after Teddy Petersen stepped up to the plate and roped a double deep to center field. Then, junior Ross Indlecoffer added another one when he hit a fly ball deep to leftfield that bounced off the CSP leftfielder's glove and over the Bowyer Field fence for a solo home run, making it 3-0.
In the second inning, the Golden Bears got on the board with one run in the top half before the Mavericks tallied off 11 runs on six hits and got help from one CSP error. Senior Ty Denzer had the big hit, his second double of the afternoon cleared the bases for three runs. MSU was leading 14-1 after two innings.
From that point on, the Mavericks cruised to a seven-inning finish in a game that concluded 18-4 in favor of MSU, who swept the three-game series following a pair of wins, Sunday.
The Mavericks outhit the Golden Bears 16-7. CSP had the game's only error that came during MSU's second-inning surge.
On the mound for the Mavericks, Brendan Knoll moved to 6-0 in his fifth start of the season. The Mavericks right-handed junior allowed six hits over four innings and surrendered three runs. Knoll walked a pair and struck out four others. MSU pitchers Trevor Divinski, Jack Brown and Jackson Uner each pitched an inning the rest of the way. Divinski allowed a home run and struck out three, Brown struck out one and Uner struck out the side to finish the series.
Golden Bears' right-handed pitcher Michael Voss was handed the loss and fell to 0-3 this season. Voss threw 1.2 innings while allowing nine runs (four earned) on seven hits. He struck out two and never gave up a walk.
MSU's next game is Wednesday at Bowyer Field when the Mavericks play host to Sioux Falls for a 7/9-inning doubleheader starting at 1:30 p.m.
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