MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State baseball team shutout the Northern State Wolves in a pair of games Saturday at Bowyer Field as the Mavericks defeated NSU 8-0 and 5-0.

With the wins, MSU improves to 20-4, including a 13-2 NSIC record. With the losses, NSU drops to 9-13, including a 4-5 conference record.

Game 1

The Mavericks opened the day with an 8-0 win in seven innings. Brendan Knoll (5-1) picked up the win as he recorded a four-hit shutout, which included seven strikeouts. Brian Bake (2-2) took the loss as he gave up seven runs in 5.1 innings while striking out five.

MSU jumped out in front right away in the first inning as they scored three runs off of two hits. With the bases loaded, Adam Schneider walked to drive in the first run of the game, before Aidan Byrne drove in two more runs with a single up the middle.

Neither team could get much going offensively until the added five more runs in the top of the sixth to increase its lead to 8-0. Mikey Gottschalk scored on a wild pitch, before Jackson Hauge blasted a two-run homer to left field. Ben Livorsi and Nick Altermatt each recorded RBI-singles as well before the Wolves could get out of the inning.

Northern State stranded three runners on base in the final two innings as Knoll shut the door for the 8-0 win.

Game 2

MSU finished the day with a 5-0 win in nine innings in game two. Altermatt (6-0) earned the win as he threw seven shutout innings, as he gave up just five hits while striking out five. Jack Brown threw two innings in relief to preserve the shutout as he struck out three. Michael Chevalier (1-1) was saddled with the loss as he gave up four runs in five innings. Mike Stubbs and Zach Carolin each threw two innings in relief of Chevalier.

As they had in game one, the Mavericks put three runs up on the board in the first inning. Altermatt drove in the first run with an RBI-double, before a sac fly from Cam Kline put MSU up 2-0. Hauge then notched a solo home run to left center to put MSU up 3-0.

The Mavericks added another run in the top of the third as Adam Schneider drove in Gottschalk with a sacrifice fly to left field to increase MSU's lead to 4-0. In the top of the seventh, the Mavericks took advantage of an error by NSU's left fielder to bring another run across the plate to go up 5-0. 

Altermatt and Brown each stranded to NSU runners on base in the seventh and ninth innings as the Mavericks completed their 5-0 shutout.

The Mavericks wrap up the series with Northern State in Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m., at Bowyer Field.