MANKATO, Minn - The Minnesota State Mavericks dominated their doubleheader against the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs on Saturday at Bowyer Field, securing a 4-0 shutout in Game 1 and a decisive 15-5 victory in Game 2.
Game 1 - MSU 4 UMD 0 (7 innings)
Minnesota State took control early, scoring in the first inning on an RBI single by
Louis Magers. The Mavericks extended their lead in the second when
Ben Palmer drove in a run, followed by a two-out RBI single from
Zach Stroh to make it 3-0. A defensive miscue by the Bulldogs in the fourth allowed another run to cross, giving MSU a comfortable 4-0 lead.
The Maverick pitching staff held UMD scoreless, with a stellar performance on the mound limiting the Bulldogs to just three hits.
Louis Magers (3-0) tossed 5.0 innings with two walks and two strikeouts.
Hunter Day pitched the final two innings and struck out two. Strong defensive play, including two double plays, kept Minnesota Duluth from gaining momentum as MSU secured their second straight shutout (third overall).
Game 2 – MSU 15 UMD 5 (7 innings)
The second game featured an offensive explosion from the Mavericks, highlighted by a dominant third inning. After trailing 5-2 early, Minnesota State responded with a three-run home run from Magers to tie the game. The Mavericks continued their offensive surge, taking control and piling on runs throughout the later innings. MSU sent 11 hitters to the plate in the sixth and scored seven runs on just two hits as they took advantage of defensive miscues and walks.
Ike Mezzenga set the tone early with a two-run homer in the first, while MSU capitalized on UMD's mistakes and put together big innings to end the game in seven via the 10-run rule.
"We were down at the beginning of the game.
Nathan Culley gave up a few runs but I was super excited about the way he bounced back. Our offense was relentless like they have been all year and we found a way to score some runs," said head coach
Matt Magers.
With the sweep, the Mavericks (17-1, 11-0 NSIC) finish the series off Sunday with a game at Noon CT at ISG Field in Mankato, Minn.