MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State sophomore right-hander Jameson Quinn tossed a seven-inning complete game with four strikeouts and no walks to pace the Mustangs to a 4-1 victory over Minnesota State in game one of a NSIC doubleheader on Saturday at Legion Field.
 
MSU, which entered the day first in the league standings and ranked No. 28 in the ABCA Top 25, belted four home runs in game two in earning a 10-4 victory. The two clubs will play the rubber game of the series on Sunday starting at 1:30 p.m.
 
The split gives SMSU a 16-19 overall record, including 6-17 in NSIC play, while MSU is now 24-8 overall, 17-3 NSIC.
 
Game one ended in dramatic fashion with SMSU turning a 5-4-3 triple play to end the game. It was SMSU's first triple play since the 2016 season. It was also just the third SMSU win over MSU since the 2010 season, but two have come in the last three seasons under SMSU head coach Jeremy Ische.
 
Quinn (3-3), who lasted just 1 1/3 innings and walked five batters in his previous start on Monday in a loss to Northern State, was dominate on Saturday as he closed the game tossing 79 pitches with 56 for strikes, while allowing just five hits.
 
SMSU out-hit MSU 8-5 with the bottom of the Mustang line-up coming through with big hits. Brock Woitalla and Caden King each had two hits an RBI, while Nathan Wheeler added a single.
 
SMSU broke a scoreless game in the fourth inning with Henry Hammrich and Woitalla starting the frame with back-to-back single. King pushed across the first run of the game moments later stroking a double down the right field line. Woitalla and King would both score later in the inning on wild pitched to extend the lead to 3-0.
 
MSU answered with a run in the fifth, but SMSU came right back in the home half of the frame with Carter Lang drilling a one-out double to left-center before Woitalla smacked a run-scoring base hit to score pinch runner Jacob Merrill.
 
Quinn tossed a three-up and three-down sixth before the Mavericks put together a rally in the seventh. Following a hit by pitch and infield single, MSU's Pambos Nicoloudes hit a ground ball to SMSU third baseman Wheeler, who stepped on the base, threw to second baseman Cortez for the second out, with the relay throw to Levi Lampert and first base to complete the game-ending triple play.
 
In game two, SMSU starting pitcher Tyler Nesheim (1-3) worked out of early jams to limit the Mavericks to one unearned run through four innings. In the fifth however, MSU used a pair of solo home runs by Louis Magers and Eric Nuno to build a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning, SMSU failed to record the final out on a ground ball to put runners on first and second. One batter later, MSU's Jake Berkland belted a three-run homer to make the score 6-0.
 
Berkland would add a solo home run in the seventh while another run scores in the inning on a wild pitch to make the score 8-0. 
 
SMSU mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh with four runs on three hits. Woitalla scored the first run on a wild pitch before Jared Cortez drilled a two-out, two-run single to cut the MSU lead to 8-3. The Mustangs added another run as Connor Davis drilled an RBI double to plate Cortez and cut the deficit to 8-4.
 
MSU added two insurance runs in the ninth for the final six-run victory. The Mavericks banged out 14 hits in the nightcap and left 18 runners on base.
 
SMSU finished game two with eight hits but committed four errors. Cortez finished 3 for 4 with two RBIs with Moline adding a pair of hits.
 
Nesheim pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts, one walk and three hit by pitches.