SIOUX FALLS – With strong starts in both games, Minnesota State (22-7, 17-3 NSIC) took a doubleheader from the University of Sioux Falls Baseball Team (8-20, 8-10 NSIC) in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play at the Birdcage on Thursday afternoon. The Mavericks won game 1, 3-1, and took the second half of the doubleheader, 6-0.
With the two victories, MSU improved to 22-7 overall and 17-3 (3
rd) in the NSIC. The Cougars dropped to 8-20 overall and 8-10 in NSIC play. USF will now face Upper Iowa on Friday at 11/1 p.m. in Plattsmouth, Neb., due to a forecasted blizzard this weekend which has forced the series to be cut two games and moved up.
Game 1 – Minnesota State 3 Sioux Falls 1
Dalton Roach of MSU moved to 7-0 by holding USF to six hits in tossing a complete game in a 3-1 victory.
Senior
Stuart Maes (1-6) took the loss for the Cougars, working 2 2/3 innings and allowing three hits and one earned run with a strikeout and three walks.
Christian Lazar (1/3, strikeout),
Matt Graham (two innings, one run no hits, walk) and
Jackson Olson (two innings two hits, strikeout) also worked on the mound for the Cougars.
USF scored its only run in the fourth inning on
Josh Rehwaldt's sixth home run of the season. Rehwaldt and
Dylan Gavin both had a pair of hits for USF.
In the first inning, Minnesota State scored an unearned run off Maes as the Mavericks took a 1-0 lead. MSU opened up a 2-0 lead on Luke Waldek's RBI single and adding a run in the fifth as T.H. Buck's sacrifice fly plated Josh Wenzel for a 3-1 lead.
Game 2 – Minnesota State 6 Sioux Falls 0
In game two, senior left-hander Aaron Rozek limited USF to a pair of hits over six innings as MSU captured a 6-0 decision for the sweep. Nick Belzer finished for MSU, allowed a two-out single to
Matthew Minnick, who had two of USF's three hits.
Grant Lung also singled for USF.
Sophomore right-hander
Keenahn Coyle took the loss for USF, falling to 1-2 on the season. He had a solid outing with a career high seven strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. He allowed just four hits and three runs.
Christian Lazar (1/3 inning, no hits),
Anthony Reese (two innings, three hits, two runs, strikeout) and
Payton Livingston (one inning, three hits, one run) also pitched for the Cougars.
Minnesota State scored unearned runs in the first and third inning and built a 3-0 lead off USF and starter Coyle. The Mavericks added two more runs in the eighth inning and a single tally in the ninth inning.
