MARSHALL, MINN. – Clutch hitting and pitching helped the University of Sioux Falls Baseball Team (10-13, 6-13 NSIC) earn a sweep over Southwest Minnesota State (7-14, 5-13 NSIC) on Thursday in NSIC play at Legion Field. USF defeated SMSU, 11-2, in the opener and won a back-and-forth affair in game two, 9-8

Leading the USF offense was the top of the line up as Connor King and Tyler Cate had nine hits in 15 at bats with seven runs scored and five RBI. King, who hit his first career home run, was 4-of-6 and reached based nine times. He had four runs and two RBI along with eight total bases. Cate had five hits in nine at bats as he raised his average to a team-high .342 on the season. He had three runs scored and five total bases.

Also starring in offensive roles was Jared Binsfeld, who had four hits in eight at bats and hit his first home run, along with senior Zane Butts with a team-high five RBI. Senior Ryan Bernardy and junior shortstop Grant Lung both had three hits. Bernardy's big hit was the eventual game-winning home run in the top of the ninth inning in game two. Overall, USF had a .358 batting average with 24 hits in 67 at bats and score 20 runs for its biggest two-game combo of the season. On the day, USF had a .458 on-base percentage and a .537 slugging mark with King posting a season-best 1.333 mark.

On the mound, USF had a sterling pitching performance by Andrew Maslowski, who went the distance in game one for his first-ever complete game at USF..

"It was good to see the bats come alive today," said USF Head Coach Grant Hieb, whose team now hosts Wayne State on Saturday and Sunday, April 17-18 at Sioux Falls Stadium. "Putting up some runs takes a lot of pressure off our pitching staff. Andrew (Maslowski) threw a gem in game one. He had his pitches working and only needed 65 pitches to throw the complete game. In the second game, it was good to see our offense responded after we let them tie it up late. (Ryan) Bernardy's go-ahead home run was huge. He worked the count and got to see some pitches before he hit the home run. I am proud of the way my guys played today and happy to go on the road and get a sweep," said Hieb, whose team finished a 10-game road with three wins in the past five games.

GAME 1 – Sioux Falls 11 SMSU 2 (7 innings)
It was a career-first game for the University of Sioux Falls Baseball Team, led by Andrew Maslowski, who earned his second win with a career-first complete game in the 11-2 win over Southwest Minnesota State in the opener.

Maslowski (2-3) dazzled on the mound as he allowed just five hits and one earned run with two strikeouts in throwing 65 pitches in his longest performance to date.

USF also had career-firsts from Connor King and Jared Binsfeld, who hit their first home runs as members of the USF team. King had homered in his previous game but it was rained out in the fourth inning and did not count.

In the opener, King had two hits in three at bats with two RBI, two runs scored and reached base four times. Binsfeld had two hits, including his first home run, and three RBI with a run scored. Tyler Cate also had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored. Zane Butts added a hit and two runs scored and two RBI.

USF opened up a 3-2 lead in the third inning and then scored a single run in the fifth, two in the sixth frame and exploded for five in the seventh inning. USF had 11 runs on 12 hits with an error.

In the USF second inning, King homered after Butts was hit by a pitch for a 2-0 lead. In the third inning, Binsfeld homered for a 3-0 lead. After SMSU pushed a pair of runs across, USF grabbed a 4-2 lead when Lung, who had doubled, scored on Binsfeld's sac fly. In the sixth inning, King doubled and Cate reached on an infield hit. Lung had his second hit of the day to bring home King. Then, Cate scored when USF tried a double steal but Lung was out caught stealing. In the second inning, Noah Buss opened with a single and Trey Hubers followed with a base hit. After Sam Michels reached on a throwing error, both Drew Kitchens (pinch runner) and Hubers scored on a two-run single by Butts. Later, Cate's two-run single scored two and Binsfeld had an RBI hit as USF extended the lead to 11-2. From there Maslowski shut down the Mustangs.

Game 2 – Sioux Falls 9 SMSU 8 (9 innings)
In earning the sweep in a 9-8 game two win, USF was led on offense by Ryan Bernardy who had two hits and two runs with two RBI. He had his seventh home run of the season and 18th of his career (third all-time). Tyler Cate had another big game for USF with three hits, run scored and an RBI. Connor King reached three times and had two hits, and two runs. USF also had two hits by Jared Binsfeld and Zane Butts, who hammered out three RBI.

Payton Livingston started for USF and allowed four runs on six hits in throwing 61 pitches in four innings. Alex Bertram worked two innings and had a pair of strikeouts with two walks but did not allow a run or hit. In one inning on the mound, Anthony Reese did not give up a hit or run. Drew Leonard also worked and allowed two runs on one hit in 1/3 of an inning. Alex Krout (4-2) worked the final 1 2/3 and allowed two runs on three hits but moved to 4-2 with the win.

In the back-and-forth affair in game two, the Cougars opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning and led 3-0 after a run in the second inning. In the first inning, King and Cate singled and Grant Lung's RBI hit brought home King. Bernardy followed with a sacrifice fly. In the second inning, Zane Butts doubled to score Tyler Blackburn who had walked.

SMSU took a 4-3 lead before the Cougars tied it in the fifth inning  when King scored an unearned run on a pass ball.

Tied at 4-4, both teams broke through in the eighth inning with the Cougars and Mustangs both tallying four runs. USF opened the eighth as Bernardy singled which was followed by a single by Binsfeld and a walk to Noah Buss. Bernardy scored on a wild pitch and then pinch runner Drew Kitchens and Binsfeld scored on a two-run single by Butts. With two out, Cate had a single and advanced to second with Butts moving to third and Blackburn scoring for an 8-4 lead. But SMSU answered in the bottom half.

In the top of the ninth inning on a 3-2 count, Bernardy hit a tie-breaking home run for a 9-8 lead. Then, Krout shut down SMSU in the final frame.