Box Score Joplin, Mo. --- The Minnesota State baseball team (42-16) scored seven runs in the first four innings en route to a 10-4 victory over #10th-ranked Missouri Southern Sunday afternoon in the final game of the NCAA Central Region Sub-Regional.
With the win, Minnesota State advances to next weekend's best-of-three series against Augustana to decide the Central Region and earn a berth to the NCAA Division II World Series in Cary, N.C. Game one is slated for Friday, while game two, and the "if necessary" game three are scheduled for Saturday. More info about next weekend's series will be made available early this week.
Missouri Southern started the scoring in the top of the first as Treghan Parker hit a one-out homer to left center.
The Mavericks answered with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame as second baseman Matthew Fleischhacker singled down the left field line. Shortstop Aidan Byrne then doubled to right center, scoring Fleischhacker and knotting the game at one.
Byrne would move up a base on a groundout off the bat of right fielder Jackson Hauge before scoring when center fielder Ryan Wickman grounded out to third, giving the Mavericks a 2-1 lead.
Missouri Southern tied the game at two in the third when Drew Davis and Parker singled. A fielder's choice eliminated Parker on the basepaths and moved Davis to third before he eventually scored on a single up the middle from Ethan Clark.
The Mavericks responded in the bottom half of the inning as Fleischhaker reached on an error and Byrne drew a walk before Hauge was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Wickman who drew a bases-loaded walk and chased Missouri Southern starter Cale McCallister.
After reliever Laif Hultine registered a strikeout, he then issued the second bases-loaded walk of the inning to walk in Byrne before catcher Nick Baker was hit by a pitch to walk in Hauge. Hultine stopped the bleeding with a flyball and a strikeout as the Mavericks opened a 5-2 lead after three.
The Lions grabbed a run back in the top of the fourth as Chayton Beck – who had reached on a walk – scored when Nate Mieszkowski singled to right.
The Mavericks put up another crooked number in the bottom of the fourth as Byrne blasted a ground-rule double to left center. Hauge then walked before Wickman cleared the bases with a triple down the rightfield line, pushing the Maverick lead to 7-3.
The Mavericks pulled junior starting pitcher Taisei Yahiro in the top of the fifth for senior Dylan Gotto. Yahiro went four innings allowing three runs on three hits while striking out two. Yahiro earned his seventh win of the season with his outing.
Gotto worked four innings of relief, allowing just one run on five hits while striking out four,
After a scoreless fifth and top half of the sixth, Hauge led off the bottom of the sixth frame with a standup double to right field. Two batters later, Weed traded places with Hauge as he doubled to left, pushing the Maverick lead to 8-3.
Sophomore pinch hitter Ryan Bachman led off the seventh with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice before coming around to score on a single to the left center gap off the bat of Fleischhacker, pushing the Maverick advantage to 9-3.
Byrne drew a one-out walk before both Bryne and Fleischhacker moved up a base on an errant pickoff attempt. Fleischhacker came around to score when Gottschalk reached on an error by Lion's second baseman.
The Lions added a run in the top of the eighth to cut the deficit to six.
