MARSHALL, Minn. – Taking two of three games in the series, Minnesota State baseball split its NSIC doubleheader Saturday at Southwest Minnesota State with a 10-9 loss in nine innings, followed by a 6-5 win in eight innings at Legion Field.
 
Zach Stroh led the Mavericks with 10 runs batted in on the weekend, including a solo home run in game two for the go-ahead run in the eighth.
 
The Mavericks finished the regular season with a record of 34-16, 29-10 NSIC, and will be the second seed in the conference tournament behind Augustana. 

"It was a well earned series win today," said head coach Matt Magers. "Stroh had a fantastic day at the plate hitting the ball all around the field. Irsfeld and Haugen also provided some big innings out of the bullpen."

The postseason begins Wednesday, May 8 when MSU takes on No. 7 seed UMary at Veterans Memorial Ballpark at BNC Field at 6 p.m. The tournament is double elimination.
 
GAME 1 – Southwest Minnesota State 10, Minnesota State 9 (9 inn.)
 
Stroh drove in the first two runs of the game in the top of the first inning with a line drive over third base. Then the Mustangs struck for seven runs in the second on six hits. Chase McDaniel collected a two-run home run in the rally off MSU starting pitcher Jake Matthaidess.
 
Ryan Friedges' single to left field in the third scored Matt Fleischhacker and Matt Magers, which brought the Mavericks back to within one.
 
McDaniel singled up the middle for a run batted in in the third and Isaac Nett's sacrifice fly added another with one out.
Fleischhacker ended the SMSU fourth with a barehanded throw to first base after a hard ground ball glanced off pitcher Ben Irsfeld.
 
Derek Kay connected for his sixth home run of the season to right field in the top of the fifth. The three-run shot tied the game 9-9. Scoreless in the seventh and eighth, Louis Magers tried to break the deadlock in the ninth. After stealing third, he was tagged out at home plate after Nick Baker hit a ground ball back to the pitcher's mound. Lincoln Berry then lined out to second.
 
Ethan Stade marked two strikeouts in the ninth but with runners on first and second, McDaniel singled through the right side to give the Mustangs the victory. McDaniel finished 3-for-6 with four runs batted in. Stroh led the Mavericks with three hits, two runs batted in and a run scored.
 
Cameron Jensen (3-2) collected the win for SMSU after pitching the final 4.1 innings.
 
GAME 2 – Minnesota State 6, Southwest Minnesota State 5 (8 inn.)
 
Stroh opened game two with a two-run home run for the Mavericks in the top of the first inning after Aiden Byrne reached on a walk. Peyton Nash singled in a run for the Mustangs in the second.
 
An error and a walk enabled a pair of SMSU baserunners in the fourth. Then Caleb Gardow singled to center field for a 3-2 Mustang lead.
 
SMSU plated two more runs in the fifth. Then the Mavericks rallied for a 5-5 tie in the sixth. Ryan Wickman led off with a single and Stroh reached via fielder's choice. Louis Magers notched his team-leading 13^th home run of the season to right field. After Fleischhacker singled and Berry reached on an error, Fleischhacker subsequently scored on a passed ball.
 
Stroh gave Minnesota State a 6-5 lead in the eighth inning with a solo home run, his 10^th RBI of the series.
 
Cale Haugen (W, 6-2) came in and tossed 3.2 innings of scoreless relief to help the Mavericks late. Starter Spencer Wright worked 4.0 innings and allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits, walked two and struck out five. Kobe Lovell (0-2) suffered the loss in relief for the Mustangs.