A stellar start by ace Dominic Austing and a four-hit game from Mitch Mallek guided #6/7 St. Cloud State (13-2, 1-0 NSIC) to a 7-1 series-opening victory over Minnesota State-Mankato (8-4, 0-1 NSIC) on Sunday evening.

Austing fired 6.0 innings, scattering four hits while punching out 10. The righthander allowed a lone earned run and piled up 19 swinging strikes on just 87 pitches, including a run of 8 consecutive strikeouts. With the win, Austing is 4-0 in four career starts against the Huskies’ arch-nemesis.

St. Cloud State struck with five runs in the opening frame as their first 6 batters all reached. Najee Gaskins (0-3, BB, HBP, 2 R, 2 SB) was hit by a pitch, Mat Meyer walked, then Mallek (4-4, BB, 2 R, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI), Lenny Walker, Jordan Joseph (2-5, R, RBI) and Toran Shahidi rapped singles. Walker crossed home on an RBI groundout by Dylan Haskamp, then Ethan Ibarra brought home Joseph on a single into left.

Mavericks starter Jimmy Larson, earning the game one nod in the place of injured ace Jon Ludwig, was pulled following the first inning. Larson allowed five earned on five hits, two walks and two strikeouts.

Hunter Even covered 5.1 frames of two-run ball out of the Maverick bullpen, navigating through three hits and 5 walks while striking out 6.

SCSU tacked on their sixth run of the ballgame on a fourth-inning Mallek RBI single. After Mankato cut the lead to 5 on a Ty Buck run-scoring triple in the sixth, Mallek doubled to open the seventh and scored on a wild pitch.

Matt Butler earned his first collegiate save in relief of Austing, throwing 3.0 scoreless with two hits allowed and a pair of strikeouts.

The Huskies and the Mavs’ conclude their weekend series with games two and three on Monday at 10:00 a.m. and noon. Both games can be heard on the KVSC Sports Stream.

Box Score