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TUCSON, Ariz. – Southwest Minnesota State snapped its four-game losing streak on Wednesday night pulling away for a 9-3 victory over Minot State at the Tucson Invitational. Earlier in the day, SMSU dropped a 17-8 decision to Bemidji State.

SMSU's Derek Branson snapped a 2-2 game in the top of the seventh with a two-out, two-run double to give the Mustangs a 4-2 lead. SMSU (2-6) then put the game away with five runs in the top of the ninth

Brandan Alfson (1-0) pitched the first 6 2/3 innings to earn the win, recording a career-high eight strikeouts, while giving up two runs on five hits with four walks. Jake Leighton worked out of pair of late-inning jams to notch his first career save. He pitched 2 1/3 innings, allowing three hits, one unearned run with four strikeouts.

Minot State (2-5) scored in the home half of the first with a two-out solo home run off of Alfson to take an early 1-0 lead.

SMSU quickly responded in the second inning as Austin Stubbs led off with a walk and later scored on a run-scoring single by Jarred Carlson. The Mustangs later loaded the bases with one out, but a strikeout and line out ended the frame.

SMSU took its first lead of the game in the fifth inning as Jason Minett doubled with two outs and later scored on a single by Carlson.

The Beavers didn't trail for long and used a lead-off walk that later came around to score on a two-out single to tie the game at 2.

The game remained tied until the seventh when SMSU snapped the tie with a clutch two-out hit. After the Mustangs had 11 runners on base through six innings, Branson came through with a clutch two-out, two-run double to put SMSU back in front 4-2.

MISU put together a two-out rally in the seventh, putting runners at second and third with two outs, but Leighton coaxed a fly out to close the threat.

In the bottom of the eighth, MISU used a single and two errors to put runners on second and third with no outs, but Leighton came through again recording three straight strikeouts to keep SMSU with a two-run lead.

In the ninth, SMSU took advantage of wild MISU pitching to load the bases via three walks. With two outs, Tanner Neale laced a bases-clearing double to give SMSU a 7-2 lead and was followed moments later by a two-run homer by Patrick Reints.

The Mustangs finished the game with 11 hits, with Carlson recording a 3 for 3 night with a pair of RBIs, while Rients finished with a pair of hits.

In SMSU's first game on Wednesday, Bemidji State extended the Mustangs' losing streak to four games with a 17-8 victory.

SMSU held leads of 3-0 and 5-2 in the game, but BSU scored seven unanswered runs in the middle innings to take a 9-5 lead. SMSU cut the lead to 9-8 after six innings, but BSU put the game away with seven runs in seventh and eighth innings to close the game.

SMSU jumped out to a quick start in the top of the first as Neale and Rients hit one-out singles before Austin Stubbs smashed his team-leading fourth homer of the season to stake the Mustangs to a 3-0 lead.

BSU (3-8) pushed across two runs in the bottom of the second to cut the lead to 3-2, but SMSU answered in the fourth. With two outs and a runner at first, Carlson drilled a one-hopper off the center field fence and before the BSU centerfielder could find the ball, Carlson raced around the bases for an inside-the-park home run.

The lead didn't last long as the Beavers answered right back in the bottom of the fourth with three runs to make the score 5-5. BSU then took the lead an inning later on a two-out bases loaded triple and a run-scoring single to build a 9-5 lead.

SMSU answered in the top of the sixth as Carlson came through again—this time hitting the ball over the fence—for a three-run homer to cut the deficit to 9-8. Minett followed with a double, but was later thrown out at the plate attempting to score on a single by Branson.

BSU then added three insurance runs in the seventh, two unearned, to push the margin to 12-8, before pushing across four more runs in the eighth.

Alex Jorgensen (0-2) started for SMSU and pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

SMSU finished with 12 hits in the game—with every starting getting at least one hit—with Stubbs leading the way with three, while Carlson had two hits and combining for eight RBIs.

BSU finished the game with 18 hits and took advantage of five SMSU errors.

Southwest Minnesota State continues play on Thursday taking on Concordia-St. Paul (1-0) at 8:30 p.m. CDT.