Game 1- MSU 12 WSC 3
Game 2- MSU 8 WSC 3
Minnesota State used a pair of late inning scoring spurts to pull away in each game and sweep Wayne State in Northern Sun Conference baseball played Tuesday afternoon at the Pete Chapman Baseball Complex in Wayne. The Mavericks used a six-run seventh inning in the first game for a 12-3 win and then scored four times in the final two innings to post a 8-3 win over the Wildcats. The visiting Mavericks improve to 20-8 overall and 13-3 in the NSIC while Wayne State slips to 12-12 on the season and 5-5 in league play.
WSC took a 3-1 lead after the first inning of the opener as the Wildcats used three hits to score three runs. Justin Beranek's bases-loaded double gave WSC the early advantage. But Minnesota State held WSC scoreless the rest of the game, limiting the Wildcats to just two hits over the final six innings to get the win. MSU took the lead for good with a four-run second, going up 5-3. The Mavericks scored one run in the fifth and then added six insurance runs in the seventh for the 12-3 win.
Minnesota State outhit WSC 15-5 in the game. Travis Parsons was 2 for 3 with a double to lead WSC in hitting while Beranek's three-run double was the only other extra base hit. Austen Wisroth (3-3) was tagged with the loss, allowing six runs over five innings on 10 hits with four strikeouts. Sophomore reliever Trevor Reeves pitched the final two innings and was charged with six runs on five hits, walking two and striking out three.
The second game saw MSU score four runs in the final two innings while WSC left 10 men on base in a 8-3 setback to the Mavericks. Minnesota State opened the scoring with three runs in the fourth inning. WSC scored in the bottom of the fourth when Nick Bidroski doubled to left center and crossed the plate on a Jake Ritzdorf single through the right side to make the score 3-1. Both teams scored in the fifth inning to make the score 4-2. Wayne State's run in the fifth happened when Braulio Acosta doubled and came in on a Travis Parsons RBI single.
MSU extended their lead to 7-2 in the eighth with three runs. WSC scored their final run in the bottom of the eighth as Bidroski walked and later scored on a Ritzdorf single. The Mavericks scored again in the ninth to make the final score 8-3.
Both teams had 12 hits in the contest. Ritzdorf finished 4 for 4 with two RBI's to pace WSC at the plate. Acosta finished 2 for 5 with a double and run scored. Senior Reid Lancaster (3-1) suffered the pitching loss, allowing just four runs over six innings on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Matt Meier worked two innings of relief, giving up six hits and three runs with two strikeouts. Taylor Simmonds and Tyler Hohenstein pitched the final inning for WCS with Hohenstein retiring both batters he faced.
Wayne State will be on the road this weekend visiting NCAA Division II 30th-ranked St. Cloud State in a four-game Northern Sun Conference series with Saturday's doubleheader scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and Sunday's twinbill beginning at 12:00 p.m.
