BOLIVER, Mo. – Minot State's Mark Ossanna crushed the baseball Sunday, going 7-for-9 with three home runs to lead the Beavers, who put up 14 runs in each game but settled for a split at Southwest Baptist in non-conference baseball.

Ossanna blasted three of the Beavers six home runs in a 14-6 win over the Bearcats to start the day, then went 3-for-5 at the plate as Minot State erased a 7-0 deficit but could not hang on in extra innings, falling 15-14 to SW Baptist in eight innings in the series finale.

The two weekend doubleheaders wrapped up the non-conference schedule for Minot State (9-3 overall), which next opens NSIC play with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 18, at Sioux Falls.

GAME 1 | Minot State 14, Southwest Baptist 6
BOLIVER, Mo. -- Mark Ossanna put together an outstanding outing at the plate Sunday, hitting three home runs to help propel the Minot State Beavers over the Southwest Baptist Bearcats 14-6.

Craig Schmich (2-0) got the win for Minot State. The right-hander went six innings, giving up six runs, three earned, on six hits, allowing no walks and striking out nine. Austin Loeb also pitched well, going one shutout inning while allowing one hit, walking none and striking out one.

Ossanna went 4-for-4 at the plate, supplementing his three home runs with a double while driving in four runs. Derek Kay added to Ossanna's awesome power-hitting performance by going 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI. Brent Riddle also helped out for the Beavers, going 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and two RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Beavers got the scoring started early, putting one run on the board in the top of the first inning. Minot State got on the board thanks to Gunnar Kozlowitz's RBI double with one out.

The Beavers then held the Bearcats scoreless before getting back on the board the very next inning. Minot State hit two home runs in the inning on the way to pushing five runs across, which brought the score to 6-0 in favor of the Beavers.

Southwest Baptist narrowed Minot State's lead to 6-3 before the Beavers stretched the advantage to 8-3 in the sixth inning. The Beavers scored twice on back-to-back home runs from junior Matt Malone and sophomore Mark Ossanna.

The Bearcats gained ground, closing the gap to 8-6 until Minot State added some insurance in the seventh. The Beavers left the yard two times in the inning on the way to scoring six runs, bringing the score to 14-6 in favor of Minot State. The score remained 14-6 for the rest of the game, as the Beavers coasted to the win.

GAME NOTES
» Ossanna compiled four hits on the day for Minot State.
» Schmich struck out nine Bearcats hitters.
» Minot State got an outstanding power-hitting day from Ossanna, who reached safely with four extra-base hits.
» Ossanna drove in four runs for Minot State.
» Every Minot State starter reached base safely in the win.
» Minot State's highest-scoring inning was the seventh, when it pushed six runs across.
» Minot State took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the first and didn't surrender that lead for the remainder of the game.
» Four Beavers had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» Minot State hitters hit six homers in the ballgame.
» The Beavers had a total of 15 hits.
» The Beavers out-hit the Bearcats at a 15-7 clip.
» Kay stole two bases in Sunday's game.
» Minot State pitchers faced 29 Southwest Baptist hitters in the game, allowing four ground balls and six fly balls while striking out 10.
» The Beavers drew seven walks from Southwest Baptist pitching.
» Ossanna led the Beavers at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a double, three home runs and four RBI.
» Southwest Baptist was led offensively by Zeke Skinner, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.

GAME 2 | Southwest Baptist 15, Minot State 14
BOLIVAR, MO --Mark Ossanna and Brent Riddle each collected three hits, but the Minot State Beavers fell to the Southwest Baptist Bearcats 15-14 in 8 innings on Sunday.

Noah Balandran (0-2) came out of the bullpen for Minot State and took the loss. Jonah Prokott was a bright spot for the Beavers, coming out of the bullpen as well and throwing 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits, with no walks and two strikeouts.

In addition to his three hits, Riddle had a home run and three RBI to lead the Beavers, along with Ossanna's three base knocks. Gunnar Kozlowitz also contributed for Minot State, putting together two hits in four trips to the plate while adding a double, a home run, a walk and an RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Trailing 7-0, the Beavers first put runs on the board in the second inning. Minot State got an RBI single from Martin Rodriquez, scoring Javier Gutierrez from second base.

The Beavers kept the Bearcats off the board before narrowing the gap further in the fourth. Minot State picked up two runs, scoring one on a solo home run from Riddle, which brought the score to 7-3 in favor of the Bearcats.

Minot State kept the Bearcats off the scoreboard before rallying to tie it up at seven in the fifth. The Beavers bats heated up in the inning, scoring four runs, including a two-run single off the bat of Riddle.

The game remained tied until the eighth inning, when Minot State got rolling again on offense. The Beavers scored seven runs in the inning, highlighted by a three-run error off the bat of Derrick Winn, bringing the score to 14-7 in favor of Minot State. The Beavers were unable to hold the lead, as Southwest Baptist scored eight times in the bottom half of the eighth to grab the 15-14 win.

GAME NOTES
» The Beavers got three-hit games from both Riddle and Ossanna.
» Minot State's power output was led by Gunnar Kozlowitz, who compiled two extra-base hits in the ballgame.
» Riddle and Winn drove in three runs each for Minot State.
» Minot State's highest-scoring inning was the eighth, when it pushed seven runs across.
» Four Minot State hitters had multiple base knocks in the ballgame.
» Minot State batters had a total of 15 hits in the game.
» Minot State left 12 runners stranded on base in the loss.
» The Beavers out-hit the Bearcats at a 15-7 clip.
» Minot State went 6-for-19 (.316) with runners in scoring position.
» Minot State pitchers faced 46 Southwest Baptist hitters in the game, allowing four ground balls and seven fly balls while striking out nine.
» The Beavers drew eight walks from Southwest Baptist pitching.
» Riddle led the Beavers at the plate, going 3-for-6 with a home run and three RBI.
» Southwest Baptist was led offensively by Tremayne Mungin, who went 2-for-6 with a double, a home run and five RBI.

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