Box Score

MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University held off a late Southwest Minnesota State rally to complete a three-game sweep with a 15-12 victory on Saturday afternoon in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference baseball at Corbett Field.
 
The three-game series was scheduled to be played in Marshall, but was relocated to Minot due to field conditions at Alumni Field. SMSU, which has played just two games in the state of Minnesota this season, drops to 6-22 overall, 5-18 NSIC.
 
MISU (26-12, 19-6 NSIC), the defending NSIC regular season champions, finished the game with 14 hits and took advantage of seven walks and three hit by pitches by SMSU pitching.
 
It was a game that featured several big innings by both teams including a pair of big rallies by SMSU.
 
The Beavers hit a lead-off solo home run to open the first inning to take an early lead, but the Mustangs rallied in the bottom of the frame as Jake Hendricks smacked an RBI double to score Andy Andresen, who reached base via a single.
 
MISU countered with a four-run second inning with four hits to build a 5-1 lead and chase SMSU starting pitcher Josh Meyer, who was making his first career start.
 
SMSU picked up a run in the third as Nathan Kuhn singled and later scored on a run-scoring base hit by Ben Heichel.
 
Mustang relief pitcher Josh Hardy held the Beavers scoreless for 3 2/3 innings allowing the SMSU offense rally to tie the game in the fifth. Following walks to Brady Lanoue and Hendricks, Heichel hit an RBI double to make the score 5-3. SMSU wasn't finished as Connor Johnson hit a two-run double to tie the game at 5-5 through five innings.
 
The game wasn't tied for long as MISU finally broke through on Hardy pushing across two runs in the sixth to regain the lead at 7-5.
 
The Beavers looked its they put the game away with a big seventh inning, scoring six runs on just three hits, taking advantage of three walks and a hit by pitch, to take a 13-5 advantage.
 
SMSU wouldn't go away and answered with its open big inning to keep the game close plating seven runs on four hits. Spencer Rudnik started the scoring with a two-run double and was followed by an RBI single by Andresen to make the score 13-8. Following a wild pitch and a walk to load the bases, Fleck hit a two-run single to pull the Mustangs within 13-10. Heichel then hit a sac fly to plate another run before Fleck scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 13-12.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the eighth, but the Beavers pushed across a pair of runs on a home run to extend the lead to 15-12.
 
The Mustangs finished with 12 hits as Andresen, Heichel, Johnson and Rudnik each collected a pair of hits with Heichel recording three RBIs.
 
Hardy (0-2) was stuck with the loss as he tossed 3 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on three hits.
 
Southwest Minnesota State will host its first games of the season on Wednesday taking on Minnesota Duluth for a doubleheader starting at 1:30 p.m. at Alumni Field.