by Sam Goetzinger / @sam_goetzinger / sports@kvsc.org (PHOTO : SCSU ATHLETICS)

The #4 ranked St. Cloud State Huskies returned home to Joe Faber field for a competitive mid-week double header against NSIC rival Minot State.

Coming into this matchup SCSU moved up a couple of spots to #2 in the NSIC rankings after a couple of solid series in conference play. Minot State on the other hand is not too far behind sitting at the #4 spot in the NSIC rankings after a solid start to the season.

The cardinal and black wasted no time getting on the board in game one. In the bottom of the first, senior Jordan Joseph was St. Clouds first baserunner after a one out single. A couple batters later another senior Mathew Meyer opened the door wide open with a two-run bomb over the wall at Joe Faber Field.

After the first, it was a pitching duel for a vast majority of the game. Senior Dominic Austing got the start on the bump for SCSU and was searching for history. Coming into the game Austing needed six strikeouts to surpass Logan Birr who finished his career with 274. Austing was wheeling all throughout the ballgame holding the Beavers to no runs through the first six frames.

Austing finished his day going six innings strong allowing 3 hits, 3 walks and 7 strikeouts. With the seven punch outs on the mound for Austing, he rewrites the history books for SCSU baseball by becoming the only player in program history to eclipse 275 strikeouts in a career. After making history, the Huskies sent out senior Matt Butler to try and close out the game in the seventh. It was a tough outing for Butler, because the first batter he faced against the Beavers took him yard to commence the Minot comeback. That would be the end of Butlers day as they sent in Junior left-hander Shannon Ahern to try and seal the deal.

Ahern gave up a single against his first batter faced and like Butler his appearance would end quickly. Up by one run with a runner on and no one out, the cardinal and black sent in senior Arizona native Blake Flint to pick up the save. Flint came in firing striking out three consecutive batters for Minot and closed out the game for SCSU. The Huskies take game one by a final score of 2-1 over the Beavers from Minot State. Dominic Austing picks up the win after a record-breaking day and Blake Flint picked up the save with three strikeouts to seal the deal.

Game two of the doubleheader saw the same result in a Husky win but in different fashion over the Minot State Beavers.

Like the first game a homerun would open the scoring for SCSU but this time it would come off the bat of senior Mitch Mallek for his 10^th of the season to put St. Cloud State up by one.

It was another pitchers duel in game two as both sides were quiet for most of the ballgame. It wasn’t until the sixth inning where another run would come across and it came at the hands of Mallek once again. Senior Jordan Joseph walked to put the first base runner on for SCSU in the bottom of the sixth, and then it was Mallek to deliver a huge one out double to drive in Joseph from first base. With the double, Mallek etched his name in the history books as well becoming the newest member to join the 200 hit club.

It comes just a couple weeks after fellow teammate and senior Mathew Meyer surpassed 200 hits as well.

The Huskies were not done in the bottom of the sixth though, senior Caeden Harris was able to lace a single to drive in Mallek from second base to put St. Cloud State up 3-0. Great pitching and defense from SCSU kept Minot at bay, but the Huskiers were not finished because one inning later they would look to tack on a couple more. In the bottom of the seventh frame another senior Toran Shahidi led things off with a base knock to get a man on for SCSU. After a nice sacrifice bunt from junior Lenny Walker and an HBP to senior Ethan Ibarra, SCSU then had two on looking to add more damage.

Senior Jordan Joseph continued his stretch of greatness at the plate with an RBI single to drive in Shahidi. After that Joseph managed to get himself into a rundown between first and second to buy enough time for Ibarra to scamper home to put the Huskies up 5-0.

That is how it would end as St. Cloud state completes the sweep over the Minot State Beavers. Sophomore Matt Osterberg got the call in game two and went an impressive 6.1 innings strong with no earned runs and eight strikeouts.

He would pick up the win to improve his record to 4-1 on the season and help secure the seventh sweep over an NSIC opponent this season for the Huskies.