BOX SCORE - GAME ONE
BOX SCORE - GAME TWO
CROOKSTON, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State held off a late-inning Minnesota, Crookston charge in game two to earn a 5-4 victory and sweep an NSIC doubleheader on Saturday in Crookston. SMSU won the opener 17-0 in a contest halted in the seventh inning via the 10-run rule.
In game one, Tyler Fayden collected a career-high five hits and added four RBI to lead the SMSU (11-11, 7-5 NSIC) offense. Derick Swenson, Cody Curry, Matt Bauer, Brian Ness and Adam Thygesen all finished with three hits.
Jared Pick earned the win tossing five shutout innings allowing just two hits, while striking out six and walking none. Nick Locnikar and Brian Lampert completed the shutout each tossing one shutout inning.
SMSU started the game strong in the top of the first scoring four runs. With one out, Cody Curry walked and moved to third on a single by Matt Bauer. Tyler Fayden then pushed across the game's first two runs with a two-run double to left-center field. Brian Ness followed with an RBI single, before Adam Thygesen capped the scoring with a run-scoring double.
SMSU added a single run in the second inning as Bauer came through with a two-out double to score Curry and make the score 5-0.
Tyler Jendro made the score 6-0 in the third inning with an infield single to score Chris Eichten, who led off the inning with a single.
The Mustangs then used the long ball in the fourth inning, belting two home runs. Curry led the inning with a home run, while Ness made it 8-0 with an RBI double. Thygesen added an RBI single, before Tyler Jendro smacked a two-run homer to make it 11-0.
The lead moved to 14-0 in the fifth as Fayden drilled a towering three-run homer over the left field wall. SMSU scored its final runs of the game in the seventh inning on a two-run double by Andrew Kinney and an RBI single by Eichten.
In game two, SMSU held a 4-1 and 5-2 leads late in the game, but the Mustangs were able to hold on for the victory. UMC (2-27, 0-16 NSIC) left two runners on base in both the sixth and seventh innings, but were not able to tie the game.
Swenson and Curry each finished game two with two hits apiece, while Josh Wendland and Bobby Zellman each had one hit.
Alex Alvarez tossed five-plus innings to earn the victory, allowing seven hits and three runs, while racking up five strikeouts.
SMSU snapped a scoreless game in the third inning on an RBI double by Derick Swenson and an RBI single by Curry.
UMC answered with a run in the fourth inning to trim the lead to 2-1, but SMSU responded with two runs in the top of the fifth. Bobby Zellman led the inning off with a double and came around to score on a single by Swenson. Swenson later scored on the back side of a double steal to extend the lead to 4-1.
After UMC made it 4-2 in the fifth, SMSU again answered in the sixth taking advantage of three walks and a hit by pitch with two outs to make the score 5-2.
The Golden Eagles came back with two runs in the sixth to trim the lead to 5-4 and put together a threat in the seventh. SMSU reliever Matt Paulson retired the first batter of the inning, but an infield single and error put runners on second and first. Paulson then ended the game with a strikeout and line out to earn his first career save.
The two teams will conclude the four-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
