Photo by Sam Thiel SMSU’s Owen Latendresse winds up a pitch during their game against Minot State on Thursday. SMSU fell to Minot State 7-3 in Game 1 and 10-1 in Game 2.

MARSHALL — Minot State continued its recent hot streak earning a pair of victories over Southwest Minnesota State in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference baseball doubleheader at Legion Field on Thursday.

MSU, which has won 13 of its last 15, won 7-3 in game one and then used a four-run seventh inning to pick-up a 10-1 victory in game two.

It was the first home games for SMSU after playing its first 29 away from Marshall, including only two in the state of Minnesota.

MSU’s Drew Behling finished the doubleheader 5 for 9 with three home runs and six RBIs.

In the opener, the Beavers (21-15, 15-6 NSIC) took an early lead in the top of the first on a two-run homer from Blake Gallagher and then added two unearned runs in the second to build a 4-0 lead.

MSU would add single runs in both the third and fourth inning to extend the lead to 6-0.

SMSU pushed across a single run in the fourth loading the bases with no outs behind singles by Owen Latendresse, Issac Nett and a walk to Andy Andresen. Caleb Gardow hit sac fly to score Latendresse, but a foul out and ground out ended a chance at a bigger inning.

The Mustangs cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fifth as Keenen Wenzel walked and moved to second on a one-out single by Max Kalenberg. With two outs, Nett came through with a clutch double over the left fielder’s head for a two-run double.

MSU answered with its own two-out rally in the sixth as Ricky Apodaca stroked an RBI double to make the score 7-3.

SMSU would mount rallies in both the sixth and seventh inning, but couldn’t come up with the big hit, stranding two runners in each inning.

SMSU, which finished game one with seven hits, left 11 runners on base. Nett closed the game 3 for 4 with two RBIs, while Robbie Smith, Kalenberg, Latendresse and Gardow each had one hit.

Latendresse, making his second career start, tossed a career-high 5 2/3 innings allowing seven runs (four earned) on 10 hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Sam Nascak retired all four batters he faced in relief.

In the nightcap, MSU snapped a scoreless game in the third taking advantage of two walks and using a pair of hits to build a 3-0 advantage.

SMSU (8-23, 1-18 NSIC) had several chances to cut into the MSU lead over the next several innings, but failed to record the clutch hit, stranding two runners on base in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth inning.

After being held in check through six innings, the Beavers broke free in the seventh with four runs on four hits to push the lead to 7-0 and then added three more in the ninth on a homer from Behling.

SMSU ruined MSU’s shutout hopes in the ninth as Wenzel smacked a run-scoring to plate Peyton Nash.

The Mustangs were held to seven hits in game two with Chase McDaniel finishing 2 for 4 with Nett, Wenzel, Jaxon Haase, Nick Brown and Nash each recording one hit.

Theo Giedd (0-3) made the start on the mound for the Mustangs and suffered the loss allowing three runs on three hits in four innings with four walks and four strikeouts. Andresen came on in relief and tossed two shutout innings before allowing four runs in the seventh. He struck out a career-high four batters in a career-high 2 1/3 innings.

SMSU continues home action on Saturday and Sunday with a three-game series versus Minnesota Crookston. Saturday’s doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. following the Marshall High School doubleheader versus Waseca.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications