Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

WAKEFIELD, Neb. – Southwest Minnesota State had its three-game winning streak snapped on Thursday as Minnesota Duluth swept a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference baseball doubleheader by scores of 13-10 and 8-5 at Eaton Field.
 
UMD (13-11, 9-3 NSIC) took advantage of a combined 20 walks and two hit batters by SMSU pitchers in earning the sweep.
 
The games where scheduled to be played in Marshall but were moved due to poor weather.
 
In game one, UMD held a 13-3 advantage in the seventh inning before holding off a furious SMSU comeback attempt to hold onto the victory. SMSU scored seven runs in the final frame and had the tying run at the plate with one out, but a fly out and ground out ended the game.
 
Shane Sellner finished the opener 3 for 5 with two RBIs, while Ben Heichel, Liam Lopez and Derek Smith all collected two hits each.
 
UMD scored a pair of unearned runs in the first and then plated four runs in the second on four hits in the second inning. The big hit was a three-run home run from Tyler Midas to make the score 6-0.
 
SMSU (9-13, 4-8 NSIC) got on the board in the third inning as Lopez ripped a double to centerfield and later scored on a two-out single by Sellner.
 
Sellner had another RBI single in the fifth, while SMSU scored another run on an UMD throwing error following a Connor Johnson double.
 
The Bulldogs continued to score, pushing across a single run in the fourth, two more in the fifth, two in the sixth and two more in the seventh to push the lead to 13-3.
 
The Mustangs wouldn't quit and rallied with seven runs on five hits and one UMD error to cut the deficit to 13-10. Heichel and Smith each had two-run singles in the inning, with Heichel's making the score 13-10. But a diving catch by the UMD right fielder and a ground out ended the comeback attempt. 
 
Cole Petersen (1-2) suffered the loss on the mound for SMSU, lasting 1 2/3 innings and allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits.
 
UMD held a 13-11 hit advantage in game one.
 
In the nightcap, SMSU started the scoring in the home half of the first as Heichel belted a two-run homer over the right field fence.
 
UMD tied the game with a pair of unearned run in the top of the third off of SMSU starting pitcher John Bezdicek. The Bulldogs then took advantage of three walks in the fourth to take the lead at 3-2.
 
UMD used three more walks in the fifth to plate two more runs and push the lead to 5-2. The lead moved to 7-2 in the sixth follow a two-run home run.  
 
Jake Hendricks ripped his first career home run in the eighth inning—a three-run shot—to cut the UMD advantage to 8-5.
For the second straight game, SMSU mounted a rally in the final inning, putting a pair of runners on base to bring up the tying run to the plate. But UMD ace pitcher Marcus Frederickson entered the game and struck out the final batter to seal the victory.
 
Bezdicek (2-3) finished pitching four innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits, but walked four and struck out four batters.
 
Nathan Kuhn finished the game 3 for 5 with two runs scored to lead the Mustang offense, which finished with seven hits. Hendricks was 2 for 4 with three RBIs.
 
Southwest Minnesota State is idle this weekend and will return to the diamond next Wednesday, April 11, with a doubleheader at Wayne State starting at 1:30 p.m.