MANDAN, N.D. – Cultivating 18 hits, Minnesota State won its second straight game to open the NSIC Baseball Tournament 15-2 over Southwest Minnesota State Thursday afternoon at BNC Field.
Ryan Friedges finished with four hits, three runs batted in and a home run.
Ryan Wickman drove in five with a pair of doubles and three hits.
The No. 2 seed Mavericks (36-16, 29-10) also downed UMary 5-1 on Wednesday in Mandan, North Dakota. They will play No. 1 seed Augustana Friday at 12 p.m. in the double-elimination tournament. No. 6 seed Southwest Minnesota State (27-23, 20-19) plays Concordia-St. Paul in an elimination game Thursday night.
Freshman
Sam George (W, 2-1) threw 6.0 innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits, walked one and struck out four while throwing 78 pitches for MSU.
"All around a good team win for us," said head coach
Matt Magers. "I felt we gave our best on every pitch regardless of the previous pitch outcome. The offense continues to pressure the opposition, scoring in bunches in multiple innings. George was exceptional on the mound locating his fastball and breaking ball early in counts."
Lincoln Berry gave Minnesota State a 3-0 lead in the second with his fourth home run of the season over the left field fence.
Matthew Fleischhacker doubled to lead off the inning and Friedges followed with a single through the left side of the infield.
The Mustangs nearly scored in the top of the fourth. After Isaac Nett reached on a fielder's choice, Owen Latendresse doubled to the right-center field gap. The relay home narrowly beat Nett and
Nick Baker applied the tag for the second out.
Wickman extended his hit streak to eight games with a double off the left field line, scoring
Hunter Ranweiler from second. Ranwelier had led off the bottom of the fourth with a double.
Fleischhacker rolled a triple off the base of the wall in right center to lead off the fifth and Friedges singled in a run with his third single of the ballgame for a 5-0 lead. Berry singled. Then Baker pushed one through the left side of the infield for a pair of runs batted in, forcing a pitching change for SMSU.
Having struck out four and allowed just four hits entering the top of the seventh, George allowed a two-run home run to Max Kalenberg to center field.
Cale Haugen entered in relief, faced four batters and recorded three outs.
Minnesota State responded in their half of the seventh. Ranweiler reached on an overthrow at first base, allowing Berry to score unearned.
Aidan Byrne was hit by a pitch. Then Wickman cleared the bases with a double down the right field line for an 11-2 edge. He eventually scored on a double play. Then Friedges lifted his second home run of the postseason, seventh overall high over the tall left field fence for a pair of runs batted in.
Wickman's single in the eighth sent Byrne around for a 15-2 lead.
Ben Irsfeld pitched the final two innings for the Mavericks. He did not allow a hit while striking out two.
Carter Petron (L, 6-2) suffered the loss after allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits, walked three and struck out two in 4.0 innings in the start.
The Mavericks have won three straight games and six of their last seven. The squad ranked No. 10 in the NCAA Central Region Rankings on Tuesday.
