MINOT, N.D. – Jason Shaul cracked a grand slam and Mason Schiff hit a 2-run homer in the opener before Will Pettener slugged a home run and collected four hits in game two, but the University of Mary was unable to match Minot State University's power display in a pair of road losses. The Beavers cracked seven round-trippers in the two games on the way to a 9-7 and 10-6 Northern Sun doubleheader sweep of the Marauders.
 
Trailing 3-0 in game one on three solo homers for the Beavers, the Marauders exploded for five runs in the fifth inning to take a 5-3 lead. After singles by Drew Feuerbach, Schiff and Seth Meide singled loaded the bases, Trenten Hove hit a 2-out single to right center to score Feuerbach. Shaul followed with his fourth home run of the season and first grand slam for the Marauders first and only lead of the day.
 
The U-Mary lead was short-lived. After the first two hitters of the inning reached on a walk and a single, Austin Berntson cracked a three-run home run to give MSU a 6-5 lead. Not done, Jordan Schultz hit a bases-loaded triple to extend the Beavers advantage to 9-5.
 
Refusing to go away, Schiff hit a two-out two-run home run in the sixth to close within 9-7. Meide singled in hopes of keeping the rally alive but was thrown out at second in an attempted steal. The Marauders went down in order in the seventh to end the game.
 
Four Marauders posted a pair of hits in the game. Shaul finished 2-for-4 with a home run, a run scored and four RBIs. Hove was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Schiff went 2-for-3 with a homer, two runs batted in and two run scored. Meide has two hits in three at bats and scored a run. Feuerbach had a hit and scored twice.
 
Zach Steckler recorded a career-best nine strikeouts in 4.2 innings for U-Mary. Ryo Takanaka pitched a scoreless seventh inning, striking out two.
 
Schultz had two hits and four RBIs for Minot State. Berntson added two hits and drove in three runs.
 
Game two was similar to the opener except the Beavers held the lead from start to finish. Following a three-run first inning for Minot State, U-Mary closed the gap to 3-2 in the second on a two-run double by Meide.
 
Returning to the longball, Minot State's Michael Borst busted a three-run homer in third to increase the Beaver's lead to 6-2.
 
The Marauders made a run to tie the game in the fourth, crossing the plate once on a wild pitch and a Hove sacrifice fly to center.
 
No time was wasted in responding. The Beavers smacked back-to-back solo home runs to start the bottom of the fourth inning, regaining the four run lead at 8-4.
 
The scoring continued in the fifth. After a Brad Meyer double and a Pettener single to right placed U-Mary runners on the corners and no outs, a Feuerbach sacrifice bunt scored Meyer with the lone run of the inning, Again, though, the Beavers matched the Marauders, scoring once in the home half to make the score 9-5. Minot State then doubled the U-Mary lead with another run that was plated on a wild pitch in the sixth.
 
Making another run at the Beavers, Pettener led off the seventh inning with his first home run of the season. It was the last gasp for the Marauders as U-Mary managed just two base runners over the next two innings, neither advancing beyond fist base.
 
Pettener finished the game 4-for-5 with two runs scored, a home run and an RBI. Meyer added two hits and scored a run. Hove also registered two hits and knocked home one run.
 
Freshman Charles Bielejeski had his best outing of the season, holding the Beavers hitless in three innings of work, striking out two and allowing one run in his relief appearance.
 
Schultz had two hits and scored three times for MSU. Celestino Rodriguez scored twice, drove in three and posted two hits.
 
The Marauders return home for a five-game home stand beginning this weekend when Bemidji State University comes to town for noon starts on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1.
 
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