TUCSON, Ariz. – The Minot State University baseball team got off to a hot start at the Tucson Invitational Monday evening as the Beavers captured their first win of the season with a 10-3 win over Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rival Southwest Minnesota State.

Austin Zorn (Sr., P, Bismarck, N.D.) provided an outstanding effort on the mound for the Beavers giving up just one run in seven innings of work. He gave up only six hits and struck out six in his second start of the year to move to 1-0 on the season.

"He had really, really, really good stuff today," Minot State head baseball coach Brock Weppler said. "I was very impressed with him. He controlled the pace of the game. He works quick—had quick innings. He's tough."

The Beaver offense picked Zorn up Monday night scoring five runs before he left the game following the seventh. Kyle Williamson (Fr., OF, Aurora, Ore.) got the Beavers on the board first in the third inning when he scored on a balk.

A two-run single from Jesse Goertzen (Jr., P/1B, Steinbach, Manitoba) tacked on two more runs for the Beavers in the fourth inning. Austin Berntson (Jr., OF/P, Minot, N.D.) kept the rally going in the fourth with another RBI single.

After SMSU scored two runs in the top of the 8th cutting the Minot State lead to 5-3, the team responded well in the bottom half of the inning.

A couple of key extra-base hits including a two-run triple from Brad Rolff (Sr., INF, North Folk, Calif. and a two-run double from Nicholas Hammerl (Sr., INF, West Peoria, Ill.) broke the game wide open giving the Beavers a 9-3 lead.

After adding on one more run in the bottom of the 8th moving the Beavers' lead to 10-3, Lane Biggs (R-Fr., P, Salem, Ore.) recorded the final three outs for Minot State.

Rolff paced the MSU offense with three hits, coming up just a home-run short of the cycle.

"All the way through our last trip in Utah, it seemed like nobody could even hit the ball," Rolff said. "So we've just been putting in a lot of work. Only up two going into the 8th inning and then being up seven going into the 9th felt awesome."

Jordan Schulz (So., OF, Strasbourg, Saskatchewan) and Williamson each ended the game with two hits while Hammerl, Goertzen and Berntson recorded one hit apiece in the game.

Minot State moves to 1-3 on the season with the win and continues its play in the Tucson Invitational tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. against Dakota Wesleyan.