DAVENPORT, Fla. --- Minnesota State rallied for two runs in the ninth inning Thursday morning to defeat Saginaw Valley State 5-4.

With the win, MSU now owns a 10-3 record on the season. With the loss, SVSU drops to 9-4.

Senior Ben Irsfeld (1-0) earned the win for the Mavericks in relief as he threw the final 1.2 innings of the game, while giving up just one hit. Junior Sam George threw six innings for the Mavericks as he allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits while striking out six batters. Dan Wilcome (0-1) took the loss as he gave up two runs, one earned, in one inning in relief.

After two scoreless innings to open the game, SVSU got on the board in the bottom of the third to take a 1-0 lead. Buck Snabes singled to the pitcher and advanced to second on a throwing error, before coming around to score on a double by Lucas Mead.

MSU, which had been held to one hit through the first five innings, managed to tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the sixth. With one out, sophomore Jake Berkland walked, before advancing to second on a fielding error. Senior Louis Magers then drove in Berkland with a single to first base to tie the game at 1-1. With this RBI, Magers has become Minnesota State's all-time leader in career RBI with 189, passing the previous mark of 188 RBI set by Aidan Byrne last season.

In the top of the seventh a pair of walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for the Mavericks with two outs. Berkland then stepped up to the plate and drove in seniors Logan Miller and Cole Yearsley with a single through the right side to give the Mavericks the 3-1 lead.

Saginaw Valley State answered right back in the bottom of the seventh as the Cardinals rallied for three runs on three hits to take a 4-3 lead. SVSU started the inning with a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases. Austin Cicerone then cleared the bases with an RBI-double down the left field line to put the Cardinals up 4-3. The Cardinals managed to load the bases again with two outs, but a ground out to the pitcher ended the threat.

After an uneventful eighth inning, the Mavericks rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth to take a 5-4 lead. A single, a walk and an error loaded the bases for the Mavericks with one out. Senior Brandon Vlcko drove in the game-tying run as he was hit by the pitch, before sophomore CJ Trask drove in the go ahead run with a single to center field to put MSU up 5-4.

The Cardinals managed to get one runner on base in the bottom of the ninth, but they couldn't bring the runner around to score as the Mavericks locked down the 5-4 win.

Miller and Trask each recorded a pair of hits for the Mavericks, while Berkland scored two runs and drove in two runs. Miller scored two runs as well.

Minnesota State continues action at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational on Friday against Seton Hill. First pitch is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. (CST).