MILROY, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team pushed its winning streak in league play to six in a row collecting a combined 31 runs and eight home runs over two games in earning a doubleheader sweep over Minot State on Thursday afternoon at Yankee Field.
 
SMSU (14-7, 9-5 NSIC) recorded a season-high runs and hits in the opener to win 20-7 and then used a three-hitter from Jameson Quinn in earning an 11-1 run-rule victory in game two.
 
The four-game series will conclude on Friday with a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. The series was originally scheduled to be played in Minot, N.D., but was relocated due to expected poor weather.
 
In game one, MSU scored the first run behind a home run from Connor Hill in the bottom of the first off SMSU starting pitcher Ryan Chmielewski.
 
SMSU quickly answered in the top of the second with Owen Latendresse dropping a perfect bunt single to plate Henry Hammrich for the Mustangs' first run of the game. Following an infield single by Levi Lampert to load the bases, SMSU freshman Jared Cortez blasted a grand slam over the left field wall to put the Mustangs in the lead at 5-1. Two batters later, Evan Behn drilled an opposite field home run over the right-center field fence to push the margin to 6-1.
 
MSU (12-10, 7-7 NSIC) pushed across three runs in the bottom of the second to trim the deficit to 6-4. Once again, SMSU had an answer in the third with Caleb Gardow starting the rally with a walk and later scoring on a bunt single by Cortez. Cory Bantam added an RBI single to plate Latendresse to make the score 8-4, before another run scored on a failed pickoff attempt to give the Mustangs a 9-4 lead.
 
Leading 9-4 in the fourth, Gardow drilled a solo home run, while Lampert and Bantam each delivered run-scoring base hits to make the score 12-4.
 
The Beavers scored two unearned runs off Mustang relief pitcher Bennett Knapper in the fourth to cut the deficit in half at 12-6, but the Mustangs rallied and put the game away with a six-run fifth inning. The first run scored on a balk with the next coming across on a hit by pitch to Lampert with the bases loaded, while Cortez coaxed a bases loaded walk. Tyler Froland stroked a two-run double, while the final run scored on a wild pitch as the Mustangs finished scoring six runs on three hits to make the lead 18-7.
 
Lampert drilled a two-run homer in the seventh for the final runs of the game.
 
Knapper (1-0) earned the victory allowing two unearned runs on two hits in 2 1/3 innings with one strikeout. Austin Dent tossed two shutout innings, while Vinny Mauro retired the final batter of the game.
 
Chmielewski earned a no-decision tossing 2 1/3 innings and giving up five runs on five hits with three strikeout, three walks and one hit by pitch.
 
SMSU closed the opener with 17 hits, while MSU finished with 10 hits. Lampert finished 3 for 4 with four RBIS and four runs scored, while Cortez had two hits, scored three runs and drove in a career-high six runs. Bantam, Carter Lang, Gardow and Latendresse each finished with two hits. Latendresse scored five runs while Gardow crossed the plate four times. Latendresse is the first SMSU player to score five runs in a game since Jason Haase on April 25, 2023.
 
In game two, SMSU jumped to an early lead blasting two first inning home runs in building a 5-0 lead. Lampert started the rally with a double and following a hit by pitch to Cortez, Bantam drove home the first run with an RBI double. Behn stepped to the plate moments later hammering a three-run home run to right-center. After back-to-back strikeouts, Latendresse hit a monster home run over the batter's eye in centerfield to make the score 5-0.
 
SMSU scored an unearned run in the second and then added four more in the third to build a 10-0 advantage. Lang started the third with a home run, while Brock Woitalla sprinted across the plate on a wild pitch for the second run of the frame. Lampert would later come through with a big two-out, two-run home run, his team-leading sixth of the year, to push the margin to 10-0.
 
With SMSU up 10-1 in the sixth, Latendresse plated the Mustangs' final run with an RBI single to score Behn.
 
The run support was plenty for Quinn (3-1), who tossed the seven-inning complete game with six strikeouts, while walking four and allowing one run on three hits.   
 
SMSU cracked out 15 hits in nightcap with Latendresse and Lampert each finishing 3 for 4 with two RBIs. Cortez, Bantam, Behn and Lang all closed the victory with two hits.