Game One Box
Game Two Box

CROOKSTON, MINN.: The Southwest Minnesota State baseball team won both games on Sunday against Minnesota, Crookston by scores of 8-5 and 6-3 to earn a four-game sweep for the weekend in Crookston.  SMSU has earned the fourth seed in the upcoming NSIC Tournament and will play third seed Concordia-St. Paul on Thursday, May 8 in Wayne, Neb.  Game time is still TBA.

The Mustangs are now 24-18 overall and 14-12 in the NSIC.

Southwest won game won behind strong pitching from Curtis Smith and a big day at the plate by Andrew Kinney.  Smith threw six innings, allowing just two runs and five hits, while striking out five to earn the win.  Arron Olson picked up the save in relief.  Kinney went 4-for-4 and scored two runs.  Doug Stearns and Josh Nolan each had two hits as well.

The Mustangs led 8-2, before UMC mounted a late rally to score three in the bottom of the seventh.

In game two, the Mustangs used six pitchers to get through all seven innings.  Jason Scheffler earned his first career victory, striking out two in one innings of work.  Andy Williamson earned his first career save, striking out all three batters he faced in the seventh.  Tony Shaikoski threw one scoreless inning, while Mark Bendzick tossed two shutout innings of relief.

Kinney continued his torrid hitting, going 3-for-4 with four RBI.  Jake Munsch, Derek West and Stearns each had two hits.

Trailing 2-1, SMSU scored four runs in the top of the second on six hits, including a two-run double by Kinney to break the game open.  Crookston scored one in the bottom of the inning, but was held scoreless the rest of the way.  The Mustangs added another run in the fourth on an RBI single by Kinney.