MANKATO, Minn. – Mitch Gutknecht tossed a complete game and Minnesota State defeated Arkansas-Monticello 7-2 to keep their season alive Sunday afternoon at ISG Field in the NCAA Division II Central Region Tournament. The Mavericks (51-7) moved ahead to face Pittsburg State Sunday at 4 p.m. CT.
 
The Gorillas are undefeated (2-0) in the tournament and the Mavericks will need to win games Sunday and Monday to advance to the Super Regional Tournament in Warrensburg, Missouri, next weekend.
 
The Boll Weevils posted three singles in the top of the third to take a 2-0 lead on Sunday.
 
Zach Stroh singled in Matthew Fleishhacker to respond for the Mavericks. Then Aidan Byrne and Ike Mezzenga smashed back-to-back home runs for a 4-2 edge. Byrne's fourth of the year tied him with Jordan Hart for the Minnesota State all-time career record in runs batted in (187). Mezzenga retook the team lead with his 21^st long ball of the spring.
 
Ben Palmer left the yard in the fourth inning with his fifth home run of the season. Mezzenga followed with a two-run double for a 7-2 MSU lead.
 
Gutknecht settled in and allowed just one hit over innings four through seven. Arkansas-Monticello put a pair of runners in scoring position in the eighth, but Gutknecht induced a pair of flyouts to get out of the jam.
 
Entering the ninth inning with 104 pitches, Gutknecht surrendered a leadoff single to Chase Cripps, then struck out Aidan Garrett. Will Owens grounded out and Cade Cancilla struck out swinging. The Boll Weevils' (33-22) season ended with losses to Pittsburg State and Minnesota State.
 
Mezzenga led the Mavericks with three hits (a triple shy of the cycle). Gutknecht (7-2) allowed two earned runs on seven hits, struck out four and walked one. Ruben Macias (0-2) suffered the loss in 3.0 innings for the Boll Weevils. He allowed three earned runs on five hits with one strikeout.