Submitted Photo Minot State’s Brent Riddle prepares to swing against a pitch in the first game of a doubleheader against Southwest Minnesota State University Friday afternoon at Yankee Field in Milroy, Minnesota. The Beavers suffered a pair of losses, 8-4 and 17-8. Photo submitted by Samantha Davis of Marshall Independent.

MILROY, Minn. — Completing a four-game sweep over Minot State in a pair of double-header Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games, the Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team earned two wins Friday afternoon at Milroy’s Yankee Field in Minnesota. The Mustangs took the first game 8-4, followed by a dominating 17-8 game two victory.

The Mustangs finished with zero errors to the Beavers’ four.

A five-run fifth inning in the first game, followed by six unanswered runs in game two’s ninth inning behind a Henry Hammrich grand slam, set SMSU up for the victories.

The Mustangs had eight runs on 10 hits in the first, and 17 runs to 14 hits in the second. MSU had four runs on eight hits to start, and brought in eight runs on nine hits in the last game.

Carter Petron was credited with the win on the mound in the first game for SMSU, with four strikeouts while allowing four runs on five hits in his four innings pitched. Cameron Jensen had the save with three innings for a trio of strikeouts, three hits and no runs.

MSU’s Conner Meldrim lost game one, pitching 4 1/3 innings while allowing seven earned runs and six hits with three strikeouts.

For the second game, Shay Endres won with four strikeouts, four earned runs and six hits through his five innings. The Beavers’ Wyatt Toth was given the loss with six earned runs, five hits and three strikeouts in his three innings.

Through the two games, Levi Lampert had six runs on five hits and two RBIs. Hammich had two runs, three hits and five RBIs, all of which came in game 2. Cory Bantam also recorded two runs, five hits and three RBIs, and finished the day with 16 putouts while manning first base.

For Minot, Brent Riddle finished with two runs, five hits and 5 RBIs. Michael Williamson followed with three runs and hits respectively.

SMSU improves to 16-7 overall and 11-5 in NSIC play. It will return to the diamond next weekend on April 5 and 6 at Barnes Field to take on Concordia-St. Paul in two double headers.

GAME 1

SMSU 8, Minot 4

The bats came alive for the Mustangs in the top of the fifth inning, bringing in five runs on four hits to take a 7-4 lead after a competitive first four innings.

Lampert led SMSU with a trio of runs on two hits, while Evan Behn and Brock Woitalla each had a pair of RBIs.

Entering the top of the fifth with a 4-2 deficit, Caleb Gardow stepped up to the plate to get the action started with a single to left field. Lampert was then walked to advance Gardow to second.

Jared Cortez hit a single to right field to run Gardow in, to cut the Mustangs’ deficit to one run.

With Lampert advancing to second base off the previous hit, Bantam was walked to load the bases up with no outs.

Behn hit a sacrifice fly ball out to right field to score Lampert and advance the runners up to tie the game up 4-4. Carter Lang then hit a bunt and was safe at first, while Cortez was able to complete the play stealing home to give SMSU the lead. Bantam also advanced to second base.

Minot’s Hayden Bode relieved Conner Meldrim at the mound with one out.

Bode struck out Owen Latendresse for the second out, yet Woitalla kept SMSU’s rally going with a double up the third base foul line to run in both Lang and Bantam for the 7-4 lead.

The Beavers got the final out with a pop fly catch by third base.

SMSU shutout MSU in the bottom of the fifth, to hold the three-run advantage quickly returning back to offense. Jensen relieved Petron on the mound in the sixth.

The Mustangs brought in one more run in their next at-bat in the top of the sixth for an 8-4 lead, ultimately resulting in the final score as their defense kept MSU scoreless the rest of the way.

Minot initially got on the board first with a run in the opening inning after Williamson hit a single up the middle, followed by stealing second base on a wild pitch. Noah Gutierrez followed that up with a sacrifice hit, to which Williamson was able to take third and home on.

Minot took back a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third with a single from Williamson on two outs, who visited home after advancing to third off a Gutierrez double and sacrifice fly hit from Riddle.

After a SMSU timeout, center fielder Hammrich caught a pop fly to give SMSU its third out.

GAME 2

SMSU 17, Minot 8

SMSU built up a 10-4 lead heading into the eighth inning behind seven unanswered runs between the third and fifth innings, and was able to withhold a late MSU four-run eighth inning rally. Hammrich hit a grand slam in the top of the ninth to put a statement on the win.

Lampert, Behn and Woitalla each recorded three runs in the second game, while Bantam led with four hits and Hammrich had five RBIs.

SMSU brought in a run in each the first and second inning for an early 2-0 lead, yet MSU scored three in the bottom of the second to take a one-run advantage.

With Endres on the mound for the Mustangs with one out, Parker Rodgers hit a home run over center field with two Beavers on base to count the three runs.

Yet, the Mustangs had a big response to take back a 6-3 lead after bringing in four runs in the top of the third.

All of SMSU’s four runs came on Minot pitching errors. With bases loaded, Toth walked both Woitalla and Hammrich to bring home Bantam and Behn. Gardow was next hit by a pitch to earn first base, which advanced Lang home.

To round out the runs, Woitalla stole home from third base off a wild pitch to give SMSU the three-run lead before the Beavers could put an end to the inning.

Holding MSU scoreless, SMSU brought in three more runs in the top of the fifth to pull away to a 9-3 lead.

Woitalla and Hammrich got on base and advanced to third and second after Gardow faked a bunt, who then hit a two-run single to bring the pair in with no outs, 8-3.

The final run came from a Bantam long drive that hit the right field fence, to send Gardow home before the Beavers could end the inning.

SMSU allowed one Minot run in the bottom of the sixth while bringing in one more of its own in the top of the seventh and eighth, holding a 11-4 run, before the Beavers attempted a comeback with four runs in the the eighth inning.

Jerod Cyrus was on the mound for the Mustangs prior to being relieved by Bennett Knapper with one out.

Minot’s Riddle started the momentum with a home run over right field for two runs.

Both Jake Orthner and Cole Talley were walked before Gutierrez hit a double toward left field to bring in Orthner and move Talley to third base.

A sacrifice fly to right field from Parker Rodgers eventually brought in Talley for the fourth run to cut into an 11-8 deficit, and SMSU was able to wrap the inning up with a pair of throws to first.

The Mustangs’ three-run lead extended to nine to wrap the game up with a demanding six-run ninth inning in response to the Beavers’ comeback attempt.

Four of the six runs came from a Hammrich grand slam over left center field, bringing in Woitalla, Nathan Wheeler and Behn who were occupying first, second and third base respectively.

The Mustangs withheld MSU with its final at-bat, including a pair of strikeouts from Cody Wichmann to secure the four-game sweep.