Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MINNETONKA, Minn. – Minot State baseball scored in the first inning both games against No. 8 St. Cloud State Monday morning.

The Huskies (21-2 overall 10-0 NSIC) were able to flip the momentum in following half inning each game on their way to 8-3, 7-4 Northern Sun wins over the Beavers (8-12 overall 0-6 NSIC) at Veterans Field.

MISU jumped out to a 3-0 first inning lead in game 1, as they capitalized on two SCSU errors, allowing Andrew Roach (So., OF/P, Gilbert, Ariz.) and Mitch Olson (Sr., 1B, Deloraine, Manitoba) to reach base. A.J. Begay (Jr., 3B, Salt Lake City, Utah) had the only hit of the inning, an RBI single scoring Olson.

Momentum was on Minot State's side, but the Huskies didn't get rattled as they came back in the bottom of the first with five runs of their own. SCSU scored in each one of the first three innings on their way to victory.

“Our starters struggled today on the mound,” said Minot State head coach Brock Weppler. “Both Doug Rolfson (Fr., P, Watford City, N.D.) and Jarrett Duchscher (Sr., P, Regina, Saskatchewan) did an outstanding job in relief today and they were able to keep us in the games.”

All the runs for the Beavers were unearned in game 1. St. Cloud State starter Chris Kubitz (3-0), who hasn't given up an earned run all season (25.2 innings), was the winner while freshman Jesse Goertzen (P, Steinbach, Manitoba) has given the loss. Goertzen falls to 2-3 in his first collegiate season.

In game 2, Mike Turcotte (Sr., CF, Victoria, British Columbia) hit a home run to give MISU another first inning lead. The home run was the first of the season for Minot State, as it took the team 575 at bats to get there.

Again, with momentum on their side MISU took the field in the bottom of the first and again, surrendered the lead by giving up three runs, but quality relief pitching kept the Beavers in the game.

In the eighth inning, Minot State had the bases loaded with no outs. After two runs scored from an Olson walk and Moughtin single, MISU had the tying run on first base before Begay grounded into an inning-ending double play.

“We did not let either game snowball out of our hands,” said Weppler. “We saw some big improvements this weekend, over what appears to be the top team in the conference.”

Starter Austin Zorn (So., P, Bismarck, N.D.) was fixed with the loss as he gave up four earned runs over five innings. St. Cloud State's Corey Fitzgerald kept the Beavers off balance, allowing just one run on three hits to get the win.

Offensively, The Beavers were led in game 2 by Connor Moughtin (Jr., C, Victoria, British Columbia) and Trevor Gust (So., C/1B, Minot, N.D.) with two hits apiece. Moughtin was 3-for-7 on the day with 2 RBI's.

Minot State will now travel back north for their 2013 home opener on April 13 & 14 against Upper Iowa University. The status of those games is subject to change due to weather and field conditions.