MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State baseball team dropped a hard-fought battle to Arkansas–Monticello, 5-3, in the opening game of the NCAA Central Region Tournament on Thursday afternoon at ISG Field.

After three scoreless innings, the Boll Weevils broke through in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs off three hits, including RBI singles and a double to take a 2-0 lead.

Minnesota State answered in the sixth when Matthew Fleischhacker led off with a double and was driven home by Ike Mezzenga on a fielder's choice, cutting the deficit to 2-1. However, UAM responded with an RBI double from in the seventh to make it 3-1.

Zach Stroh kept the Mavericks within reach, doubling home a run in the eighth to bring it to 3-2. But the Boll Weevils tacked on two critical insurance runs in the top of the ninth, capitalizing on a pair of singles and a ground-rule double.

The Mavericks rallied in the ninth, as Ben Palmer doubled and came around to score on Fleischhacker's second RBI double of the game. With the tying run at the plate, MSU came up just short as Aidan Byrne flied out to right field to end the game.

Minnesota State tallied nine hits on the day, including multi-hit performances from Fleischhacker (2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI), Palmer, Logan Miller, and Byrne. Despite outhitting the Boll Weevils (9 to 11), the Mavericks stranded eight runners on base.

The loss drops Minnesota State into the elimination bracket, where they will look to keep their postseason hopes alive in a must-win contest tomorrow against Henderson State at 2 pm back at ISG Field.