MANDAN, ND – Playing in front of a home crowd in a familiar ballpark, the University of Mary looked to use the advantage to upset conference runners-up Minnesota State University. Unfortunately a four-run outburst by the Mavericks in the fourth inning led #2 seed Minnesota State to a 5-1 win over the Marauders in the opening round of the 2024 Northern Sun baseball tournament.
The Marauders, the #7 seed and the tournament host, next faces #3 seed University of Minnesota Crookston in a loser out game 12 noon Thursday, May 9, at Municipal Ballpark in Bismarck, ND. The winner will play a second game Thursday night at Municipal following the 3:30 pm game.
UMC lost to Southwest Minnesota State 6-0 in the first round.
The Mavericks opened the scoring on a passed ball in the second inning. Minnesota State then doubled its led on a 2-run home run by Ryan Fridges in the fourth. The Mavericks would soon add two more runs for a 5-0 lead.
After leaving runners on base in the first and third innings, UMary finally broke through in the eighth when
Dylan Edmands hit a leadoff home run to right center. Following a long fly ball out to the wall in left by
Ben Prediger and a double to right for
Daniel Martin, the Marauders were shut down by lefthander Mitch Gutknecht the rest of the game.
The Marauders now had 70 home runs on the season, two shy of the school record set last season.
Gutknecht pitched all nine innings for MSU, limiting the Marauders to one run on four hits and a walk while striking out 14.
UMary starter
Lukas Frers went four innings, striking out four without walking a batter. He was credited with all five runs allowed.
Alec Danen pitched a scoreless inning for the Marauders (23-26) before turning the ball over to
Joel McGrath. The senior righthander shut down the Mavericks attack. In three scoreless innings of work McGrath struck out two, didn't walk a batter and allowed just two hits.
Five Mavericks (35-16) had two hits in the game, including Friedges who finished with two RBIs and two runs scored.
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