GAME 1 BOX | GAME 2 BOX | NSIC TOURNAMENT BRACKET | NSIC TOURNAMENT WEBSITE

MARSHALL, Minn. - Southwest Minnesota State earned its way into the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament with a sweep over Northern State on a record-setting Sunday, winning 8-0 and 3-2 at Alumni Field. SMSU won three games in the four-game regular season closing series.
 
SMSU, making its first appearance in the tournament since 2010, will be the No. 7 seed in the eight-team tournament and will face No. 2 seed Augustana on Wednesday at 3 p.m. in Sioux Falls, S.D., at Karras Park Home of Ronken Field on the campus of Augustana. The Vikings won all four meetings between the two teams earlier this season.  
SMSU junior Patrick Rients came through with one of the major highlights in game one as he belted his 18^th home run of the season setting a new school single-season record. Rients – who tied the record with two homers yesterday, moves past Andrew Kinney (2009  & 2010) and Travis Irwin (2002) for the record.
 
Brandan Alfson (3-1), making just his third start of the season, was outstanding in tossing a two-hitter for his first career shutout to lead SMSU in the opener. He allowed just three NSU batters to reach base with just one reaching second base. He struck out four and did not walk batter, while throwing just 84 pitches. Alfson retired 13 consecutive batters from the third to seventh inning.   
 
SMSU opened the scoring in game one in the bottom of the second pushing across a pair of runs. Jon Ellis started the inning with a walk and moved to third on a one-out single by Sam Haas. Tanner Neale then laid down a perfect sac bunt to score Ellis and put SMSU on the board. Following an infield single by Jason Minnet, Ben Korger delivered a run-scoring single to give the Mustangs a 2-0 lead.
 
SMSU added to the lead in a big way in the fourth, using both small ball and the long ball. Haas started the frame with a bunt single and then stole both second and third base, before coming into score on a sac fly by Minnet for the second out. SMSU wasn't finished and put together an impressive two-out rally. Korger started the rally with a triple and was followed by an RBI single by Kontz to make the score 4-0. Rients then stepped to the plate and belted his record-breaking homer over the right field fence to give SMSU a 6-0 advantage.
 
SMSU closed the scoring with a pair of unearned runs in the sixth inning to make the score 8-0.
 
The Mustangs collected 10 hits in the opener with Korger finishing 3 for 4, while Kontz and Haas each finished 2 for 3.
 
In game two, NSU scored a run on a single and three walks in the top of the first off of SMSU starter Travis McGlauflin, but the right-hander limited the damage retiring two straight NSU batters with the bases loaded to keep the score 1-0.
 
SMSU quickly tied the game in the home half of the inning as Kontz walked with one out and scored on a two-out single by Stubbs.
 
SMSU took the lead for good in the third as Rients singled with one out and advanced to third on a double by Stubbs. Jon Ellis then drilled an RBI single to left to score Rients and put SMSU in front 2-1.
 
The Mustangs added to the lead in the fifth as Jarred Carlson reached via walk and later scored on a perfect sac bunt by Neale.
 
NSU left the bases loaded in the sixth and then plated a run in the seventh to make the score 3-2, but with the bases loaded and one out, SMSU relief pitcher Brandon Hellmann coaxed an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to keep SMSU in the lead.
 
Steven Wehr pitched a scoreless ninth inning to secure the victory and record his second save of the season.
 
McGlauflin (1-3) picked up his first win of the season allowing one run and five hits in five innings, while recording three strikeouts and allowing three walks. Hellmann tossed a career-high three innings giving up six hits and one run with two strikeouts.
 
SMSU had nine hits in the nightcap with Ellis finishing 3 for 4 with an RBI, while Stubbs was 2 for 4 with an RBI.
 
SMSU has defeated NSU six times in seven meetings this season, which includes three victories in the month of March in Arizona.