MANKATO, Minn. -- In a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference series finale against Minnesota Duluth, the Minnesota State baseball team defeated the Bulldogs 13-1 in seven innings, Sunday afternoon at Bowyer Field.
By winning thanks to the 10-run rule in the seventh inning, MSU improved to 16-4 on the season with a conference record of 9-2 which stands half a game behind league-leader Augustana (9-1 in the NSIC). UMD fell to 9-12 with a 3-5 in the NSIC with the loss.
For the second straight game, junior outfielder Ryan Wickman opened the scoring with a leadoff first-pitch home run to left field. Wickman's fourth blast of the season had the Mavericks carrying a 1-0 lead after the first inning.
In the second inning, the Bulldogs tied the game at 1-1 on a sacrifice fly hit by Alex Wattermann to score Tim Pokornowski from third base.
The Mavericks reclaimed the lead in the third inning when senior outfielder Cam Kline grounded out to second allowing Nick Altermatt to score from third. Kline's run batted in was his first of three in the contest and served as the Mavericks' eventual game-winning RBI.
The fourth inning saw MSU run away with the ballgame as the team scored six runs on eight hits and one error to take a commanding 8-1 lead.
From that point on, solid pitching from junior right-handed starter Collin Denk, who is now 1-1 on the season, as well as relievers Nathan Culley and Kyle Nordby held the Bulldogs scoreless until the end of the seventh inning. The Mavericks won 13-1 by way of the 10-run rule after scoring four runs in the sixth to force the cause before adding one more dagger in the seventh.
Denk dealt out six innings of two-hit baseball which featured one run against and five strikeouts with no walks allowed before Culley and Nordby combined to pitch a scoreless seventh inning and lock down the 13-1 victory.
The Mavericks dominated the Bulldogs in hits 18-3 on Sunday. UMD had the only four errors in the contest.
Up next, the Mavericks travel to Marshall, Minn., for a midweek doubleheader against the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs. The seven and nine-inning NSIC doubleheader begins at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
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