The University of Minnesota Duluth baseball team closed out their four game series with the Minnesota State University Mankato Mavericks this afternoon, securing the 13-6 victory and defeating the Mavericks for the first time since the 2019 season.

Final Score: UMD (13) - MSU (6)

The Bulldogs got the momentum rolling early in the Sunday matchup, starting things off in the top of the first with a leadoff double from Joey Flom. 

With Gabe Richardson and Nathan Rosenberg both reaching to juice the bases, Troy Lynch was the first to start tallying the runs with an RBI single out to the right field grass. Two more runs would cross home plate with a two RBI triple from Garrett Stauffacher on the very next at bat. Finally, Ethan Pettis would drive one more in with a double of his own to give the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead before the end of the first half inning.

The Mavericks bounced back with a response, scoring on a leadoff home run and back to back RBI hits to put up three runs in the bottom and minimize their deficit.

A pair of singles in the top of the second from Hayden Anthony and Flom put runners in scoring position yet again for the Bulldogs. A sacrifice bunt from Richardson advanced the runners and brought Rosenberg back up to bat, who would collect his first RBI of the day with a single through the left side of the infield to bring the UMD lead back up to two runs.

Two more unanswered runs for the Bulldogs would tally on over the next two innings, courtesy of a solo home run from Stauffacher in the top of the third and a Pettis RBI fielder's choice play, putting the Bulldogs even farther ahead 7-3.

The offense continued rolling for UMD in the top of the fifth with runners moving into scoring position on back to back singles from Anthony and Flom and a wild pitch advancing them to third and second. Richardson went on to launch a monster three run home run over the center field wall, building the Bulldog lead to 10-3. Two more runs for UMD tallied onto the scoreboard before the end of the inning after an error from the Mavericks center fielder allowed Lynch and Stauffacher to cross home, closing out the top of the fifth with UMD in the lead 12-3.

The two teams traded home run for home run late in the game, as the Mavericks collected a two run blast from Louis Magers in the bottom of the sixth and the Bulldogs benefited on a solo blast from Rosenberg in the top of the seventh.

The Mavericks tallied one more run in the bottom of the ninth, but it proved to be too little too late as the Bulldogs held out for the 13-6 victory.

Bulldog Notes vs. MSU

Coming into the weekend, Minnesota State had the nation's best win percentage and remained the only team in Division II with only one loss on the season. The Bulldogs now join the Ohio Dominican University Panthers as the only two teams to hand the Mavericks a loss this spring.

With this victory, the Bulldogs also shut down an 18 game losing streak to the Mavericks that dates back to April of the 2019 season.

Looking Ahead

Bulldog baseball (11-10, 7-5 NSIC) returns to action next week for their home opener against the Augustana University Vikings at Wade Stadium. First pitch against the Vikings is currently set for Thursday, Mar. 27, at 12:00 PM.