GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. - Minnesota Duluth scored five big insurance runs in the sixth inning that proved to be the difference in earning a 10-7 victory over Southwest Minnesota State in game one, then took advantage of SMSU errors in game two, scoring seven unearned runs, to complete the sweep with a 13-6 victory on Wednesday in Fergus Falls, Minn.
The doubleheader was moved to Fergus Falls on the campus of Minnesota State and Technical College because of poor field conditions in both Duluth and Marshall.
In the opener, UMD (13-20, 9-12 NSIC) snapped a 2-2 tie with a three-run fourth inning and then added five runs in the sixth to build a 10-2 lead. SMSU (9-17, 5-10 NSIC) scored five runs in the seventh but the comeback attempt came up short.
SMSU jumped to an early lead as Cody Curry, playing on the field where he played two seasons of junior college baseball, belted a one-out solo home run in the top of the first to give the Mustangs an early lead. SMSU had a big chance to add to the lead but failed to score again leaving the bases loaded.
UMD used a two-out rally in the second to take the lead off of SMSU starter Aaron Johnson. The Bulldogs put together three hits and a hit batter to score two runs and take a 2-1 lead after two innings.
SMSU quickly answered in the third as Brian Ness singled with one out and came around to score on a two-out infield single by Chris Eichten. SMSU failed to regain the lead leaving the bases loaded for the second time in three innings.
UMD regained the lead in the home half of the fourth pushing across three runs to take a 5-2 lead, which was enough support for UMD pitchers Collin Stinogel and Josh Foreman.
UMD added to the lead in the sixth with a two-run and three-run home run to push the margin to 10-2.
Those runs proved to be the difference as SMSU made it interesting in the seventh scoring five runs on four hits. Jordan Kontz made it 10-4 with a two-run single, while Tyler Flattum followed with a two-run ground-rule double to cut the deficit to 10-6. A sac fly by Tyler Jendro gave SMSU its final run of the game.
Kontz, Flattum, Eichten, Ness and Fayden all finished with two hits apiece to lead an 11-hit SMSU attack. Curry and Ness both scored two runs apiece.
Johnson tossed 5.2 innings, allowing eight runs on nine hits with two strikeouts and two walks and drops his record to 2-3 on the season.
In game two, UMD took advantage of three SMSU errors in the first two innings to score seven unearned runs and build a 10-0 lead.
SMSU cut into the lead in the sixth inning with a pair of runs on a bad-hop RBI single by Drew Benson and a run-scoring double by Fayden.
Following another run by UMD, SMSU added a run in the seventh on an RBI ground out by Ben Korger, scoring Josh Wendland who doubled earlier.
SMSU pushed across two more runs in the eighth on RBI single by Tyler Brinka and an RBI fielder's choice by Mark Hanson to trim the lead to 11-5, but UMD answered with two runs in the bottom of the eighth for a 13-5 lead.
Benson finished the game with three hits, two runs scored and two RBIs, Fayden also collected three hits, while Flattum finished with two hits.
Jendro suffered the loss on the mound, allowing three earned runs on five hits in two-thirds of an inning.
SMSU will return home this weekend to begin a home-and-home series with Minnesota State, Mankato. MSU is ranked No. 2 in this week's NCAA region rankings and is riding a 17-game winning streak. The two teams will meet at Alumni Field in Marshall on Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader, followed by a doubleheader on Sunday in Mankato.
