FARMINGTON, NM - The Mavericks opened up the NCAA Central Region Tournament against the Winona State Warriors. Winona comes into the game as the #4 seed and finished 2nd in the NSIC. Mesa State enters the game as the #3 seed and finished 2nd in the RMAC.

The Warriors put up three runs in the top half of the third inning. Winona led off with back-to-back doubles and then a two-run homerun by SS Seth McMullen led to the three run inning.

Warrior ace Tony Mueller kept the Mavericks out of the hit column until left fielder Ryan Shelton (Jr., Woodinville, WA) came up with one out in the bottom of the third inning and laced a single to center field. Next batter, second baseman Kevin Becker (Sr., San Jose, CA) belted a two-run homer to right center. It was Becker's 3rd homerun of the season and it cut the Warrior lead to 3-2.

Winona tacked on one run in the top of the fourth. Shortstop Seth McMullen hammered his second homerun of the game to left field.

The Mavericks put up a big number in the bottom of the sixth. Shortstop Austin Buck (Sr., Denver, CO) delivered an RBI single that scored third baseman Ken Evanson (Jr., Pittsburg, CA) from second base. That would make the score 5-3.

The Warriors would load the bases for Maverick Catcher Brett Nigbur (Jr., Taylorsville, UT) later in the inning. Nigbur would belt a grand slam to right field and put the Mavericks up 7-5. That homerun would be Nigbur's 15th homerun of the season.

Winona State would even the score in the top of the seventh inning on Warrior Joe Kley's 3rd double of the game to make the score 7-7.

Mesa State would get the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh inning.  Shelton hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield that would score Evanson from third base for an 8-7 lead.

Lucas Shaw (Jr., Normandy Park, WA) would give the Mavericks some insurance in the bottom of the eighth inning. Shaw lifted a three-run homer to left field to give the Mavericks a 11-7 lead. That homerun was Shaw's 7th of the season.

Peter Arakawa (RJr., Aiea, HI) added an RBI safety squeeze later in the inning to push the lead to 12-7.

The Mavericks would hold on in the ninth to pick up the win, 12-8. Jack Amidei (Sr., Denver, CO) would pick up the win to push his record to 2-1 on the season. Amidei allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth but got Seth McMullen to ground out to Austin Buck to end the game.

The Mavericks record now sits at 37-18 and Winona State fell to 37-18.

Mesa State will now face Minnesota State-Mankato tomorrow night at 7:00pm in a winner's bracket semifinal. Minnesota State defeated Nebraska-Kearney in the morning game 6-1.

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