Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MINOT, N.D. – The Minot State University baseball team had their chances at upsetting the No. 16 ranked St. Cloud State Huskies Saturday afternoon at Jack Hoeven Ballpark.

The Beavers (8-11 Overall, 2-4 NSIC) had some crucial at bats where they just didn't execute as they fell in game one 5-4 in extra innings before falling 12-2 to the Huskies (18-5 Overall, 7-2 NSIC) in game two of the afternoon.

In game one of the Northern Sun doubleheader, Minot State had the bases loaded with no outs in the bottom of the fourth inning as the trailed 4-0. Andrew Roach (Jr., OF, Gilbert, Ariz.) laced a double to centerfield which was followed by Connor Moughtin (Sr., C, Victoria, British Columbia) being hit by a pitch. A.J. Begay (Sr., 3B, Salt Lake City, Utah) then had a single to juice the bases.

The Beavers, however, couldn't get the hit they needed as three consecutive hitters struck out to end the inning without scoring a run.

An inning later, MISU was back at it but this time they got the big hit. Roach started the scoring as he knocked an RBI single up the middle scoring leadoff man Nicholas Hammerl (Jr., Inf., West Peoria, Ill.). Moughtin singled on the first pitch he saw, setting the table for Begay.

The senior hit his fourth home run of the season to deep left field as the Beavers tied the game at four runs apiece. However, MISU couldn't get another run the remainder of the game and SCSU scored an unearned run in the top of the eighth inning to steal a 5-4 win.

"We faced a good pitcher and he got ahead in the court and really made things difficult for us early on," said Minot State University head coach Brock Weppler. "In the fifth we had some good at bats and obviously A.J. had a big knock for us but I think it comes down to execution in those opportunities before. We wouldn't have been in that situation to go to extras if we put the ball in play and done some of the little things right earlier in the ball game."

The loss was Minot State's third loss of the season by one run.

Offensively, Hammerl and Begay led the way for the Beavers with two hits each. Pitchers Matthew Davis (Sr., P, Red Deer, Alberta) and Austin Zorn (Jr., P, Bismarck, N.D.) were solid out of the bullpen relieving starter Joshua Larsen (Jr., P, Surrey, British Columbia). Davis and Zorn pitched three innings allowing just two hits and no earned runs.

In game two of the afternoon, errors played a large role in the outcome as MISU committed four errors in the loss. Brock McCashland (Jr., P, Odgen, Utah) picked up his first loss of the season as he went three innings giving up five hits, seven runs and four earned runs.

"We showed glimpses of this kind of stuff in our Arizona trip, and it's just frustrating," said Weppler. "We can look like a good ball club for four or five games in a row and then we come out and make error after error. If we expect to be a tournament team or top tier team in this conference we can't do that. Hopefully we can bounce back and get back to the 'grind it out' mentality we have had success with."

In the latter game, Minot State could only muster five hits against the SCSU pitching staff. Roach and Sean Arbaut (Sr., Inf., Tehachapi, Calif.) were the only two Beavers to collect an RBI in the loss.

Minot State will get their chance at revenge against the Huskies as they face the team that has beat them eight consecutive times on Sunday at 12/2 p.m. at Jack Hoeven Ballpark in Minot.