SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- On Thursday night at Ronken Field on the campus of Augustana University, the Minnesota State Mavericks swept a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader against the Bemidji State Beavers by final scores of 12-1 and 10-0.
With the two-game series sweep, MSU now stands 11-3 (4-1 NSIC) while BSU falls to 3-16 (0-5 NSIC).
Swinging the hot stick, junior Nick Altermatt batted four-for-five in the doubleheader with seven runs batted in, four runs scored, a double and pair of home runs as well as three free passes.
GAME ONE (7 INNINGS) | Minnesota State 12, Bemidji State 1
Scoring in game one began in the second inning when Adam Schneider and Jackson Hauge scored on wild pitches, making it a 2-0 game after the second inning.
In the third inning, Altermatt hit his fourth home run of the season. The solo blast to right-center had the Mavericks up 3-0 over the Beavers after the third inning.
After the Beavers scored their first run of the night in the fifth inning, the Mavericks piled on six more runs in the bottom half of the fifth and added three more in the sixth to take a 12-1 lead into the seventh inning.
Junior right-handed pitcher Jack Zigan wrapped up the game in the top of the seventh for a 12-1 victory that saw his record improve to 2-0 on the season. Zigan pitched in all seven innings while allowing four hits and one run. He also struck out 11 Beaver batters and never issued a walk in the contest.
The Mavericks outhit the Beavers 12-4 in game one. BSU had the only errors in the game as they came down with three.
GAME TWO (7 Innings) | Minnesota State 10, Bemidji State 0
The Mavericks piled runs on early and often in game two, scoring three runs in the first, four in the second and three more in the third en route to the 10-0 victory.
Altermatt opened the scoring in the first inning of the second game. His fifth home run of the season was a three-run shot that flew out to left and served a the eventual game-winning hit.
In the second inning, Altermatt provided another thump in the form of a two-run double deep to center that drove in Aidan Byrne and Ross Indlecoffer. Two more runs scored in the four-run frame thanks to a two-RBI triple from Schneider. After two innings, the Mavericks led the Beavers 7-0.
Scoring halted after the Mavericks took a commanding 10-0 lead in the third thanks to a passed ball, Hauge triple and Altermatt single. MSU rode solid pitching through the early end to the contest, winning 10-0 thanks to the 10-run rule in the seventh inning.
On the hill for the Mavericks, sophomore southpaw Nathan Culley made his second start of the season and improved to 1-1 on the year. Culley pitched four shutout innings, allowing a pair of hits and striking out eight along the way. In relief, Spencer Wright, Jack Brown and Jackson Uner combined for three no-hit shutout innings and five strikeouts. The Mavericks never surrendered a walk throughout the entirety of game two.
Minnesota State is back in action this weekend, taking on UMary in Sioux City, Iowa. The series begins Saturday at 3:00 p.m. with one nine-inning contest prior to the finale, a seven and nine-inning doubleheader, starting on Sunday at noon.
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