WAYNE, Neb. – The Minnesota State Mavericks dominated their midweek matchup against Wayne State (Neb.) on Tuesday afternoon at the Pete Chapman Complex, earning a two-game sweep with a 4-0 shutout in Game 1 before exploding for an 18-2 victory in Game 2.
Game 1 MSU 4 WSC 0 (7 innings)
The Mavericks wasted no time getting on the board in the opener. An early fielding miscue by Wayne State in the first inning allowed
Aidan Byrne to score the first run of the day, giving MSU a 1-0 lead. A pair of productive outs and some base running added to the cushion in the second, as
Jake Berkland was brought home on a sacrifice bunt by
Nick Baker to make it 2-0.
The Mavericks tacked on runs in the fourth and sixth innings, including a solo homer from
Braxton Haggith to right field to seal the 4-0 lead. On the mound, MSU pitchers kept Wayne State hitters off-balance all game, scattering just five hits across seven scoreless innings and striking out five.
Game 2 MSU 18 WSC 2 (8 innings)
Minnesota State had a strong offensive performance. After taking a 2-0 lead in the second inning behind a two-RBI single from
Logan Miller, the Mavericks continued to pour it on, scoring in six of the eight innings.
Byrne led the offensive charge with a double in the third, later stealing third and scoring on a wild pitch to push the lead to 3-0. MSU erupted in the fifth inning with an offensive surge, taking advantage of Wayne State's miscues, wild pitches, and timely hits to hang up multiple numbers.
In total, the Mavericks compiled 18 runs on 15 hits, with contributions up and down the lineup. Miller finished with multiple RBIs, while
Matthew Fleischhacker, Berkland, and Haggith also chipped in with multi-hit performances. The Mavericks capitalized on walks and hit-by-pitches as well, demonstrating strong discipline at the plate.
" Mitch Gutknecht impressed on the mound in game 1, offensively we chipped away scoring a run in multiple innings. Game 2 at the plate we took advantage of free bases and mixed in numerous hard hits. Tanner Shumski stood out in relief, wiggling around a couple tough situations." said head coach Matt Magers
Defensively, Minnesota State held Wayne State to just two runs, both coming late.
