TUCSON, Ariz. – Despite giving up three runs in the top of the first inning, the Minot State baseball team was never really threatened by Dakota Wesleyan on its way to a 21-6 rout in the second game of the Tucson Invitational Tuesday morning.

Austin Berntson (Jr., P/OF, Minot, N.D.) took the hill for Minot State giving up the three runs early, but managed to settle in completing five innings of work while giving up five runs, only two earned.

The Minot State offense was the story of the day as the team compiled 16 hits in just six innings of play. Jared Young (Fr., 3B, Prince George, British Columbia) led the way going an impressive 5-for-5 including two triples, a double and eight RBIs.

"We got very prepared the whole year," Young said. "Everything we did all winter prepared us for this. Even though it's early in my career I was pretty comfortable at the plate all of last year and that kind of carried over."

After giving up three runs in the top of the first, the Beavers responded right away getting five runs back in the bottom half of the inning sparked by back-to-back triples from Nicholas Hammerl (Sr., 2B, West Peoria, Ill.) and Young.

"That's big—especially on a start like that," Minot State head coach Brock Weppler said. "You get down three-nothing, it could swing the other way with a 1-2-3 inning and they put up a couple more."

The Beavers didn't stop scoring after the first inning either. One run in the 2nd, followed by five in the 4th, five in the 5th and five in the 6th capped off an overall dominant display offensively.

Four different Beavers ended the game with multiple hits including three apiece for Hammerl and Jesse Goertzen (Jr., 1B, Steinbach, Manitoba) and two hits for Kyle Williamson (Fr., OF, Aurora, Ore.).

Weppler was happy with the team's strong showing Tuesday, but still sees areas the team needs to improve.

"We've got to stay level headed," he said. "I think number one, out defense is not very good right now—we know we have to work on that. We know we've got two good teams coming in tomorrow and if we don't show up ready to go, we could end up on the other end of a game like this."

Minot State will be tested tomorrow with a pair of games against Northern Sun opponents. The first game of the day is set for 11 a.m. against Concordia St. Paul and the Beavers will square off once again with Southwest Minnesota State in the evening for a 6 p.m. first pitch.