St. Cloud State continues NCAA success with 9-4 win over MSU

Saturday, May 20

Emporia, Kan.

1:15 p.m.

St. Cloud State

41-16

Minnesota State University - Mankato

45-10

St. Cloud State

Minnesota State

Huskies celebrate another run vs. Minnesota State, Mankato

St. Cloud State continues NCAA success with 9-4 win over MSU

5/20/2017 6:05:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

The St. Cloud State University baseball team (41-16) added another victory at the 2017 NCAA Division II Central Region tournament in Emporia, Kan. with a big 9-4 win over rival Minnesota State University, Mankato (45-10) on Saturday, May 20.

The victory moves the Huskies ahead in the winner's bracket of the double-elimination regional tournament. SCSU will now face Lindenwood on Sunday, May 21 at 11 a.m. at the Trusler Sports Complex in Emporia, Kan.

In a game dominated by the Huskies, SCSU gained a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning with a sacrifice fly by Mitch Mallek that scored Judd Davis. A single by Matt Meyer then scored Jordan Joseph from third to make it 2-0.

In the third inning, Mallek opened the attack with a solo home run to right field. A double by Logan Swann then pushed the score to 5-0 as it scored Jackson Goplen and Meyer.

Minnesota State, Mankato rallied with a run in the third and one in the fifth to make it 5-2. In the eighth inning, Mallek continued to be an offensive weapon with another sac fly that scored Cooper Maas from third to make it 6-2. The Mavs closed the gap to 6-4 in the eighth with a two-run homer by Luke Waldek.

The Huskies iced the contest in the top of the ninth inning with a bases loaded triple by Judd Davis, which brought home Maas, Ethan Ibarra and Logan Swann.

In the contest, SCSU outhit the Mavs 13-9 as Dominic Austing was the pitcher of record for SCSU with 6.2 innings of work. He allowed just two runs, seven hits and had nine strikeouts in the game. Austing is now 7-3 in 2017. Shannon Ahern pitched 1.0 innings of relief work before Miles Nablo came in to gain the save with 1.1 innings of relief work that included two strikeouts.

Of note, Missouri Western, Emporia State, Arkansas-Monticello and Southern Arkansas have all been eliminated from tournament, while Lindenwood and SCSU are the two remaining teams in the tournament without a loss.

In the other games at the Regional on May 21, Central Oklahoma and Minnesota State will play the second game of the day at approximately 2:30 p.m. The winner of that contest will then play the loser of the SCSU-Lindenwood game at 6 p.m. on May 21. The winner of the SCSU-Lindenwood game will advance to play in the regional title game at Noon on May 22.