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Post-Game Interviews

CARY, N.C. – The fourth-ranked St. Edward's baseball team was one base hit away with the tying run on third in the ninth inning, but came up short, as it fell to #2 Minnesota State-Mankato, 6-5 in the semifinals of the NCAA DII World Series Thursday evening at the USA Baseball National Training Facility. The loss ends the season for the South Central Regional Champion Hilltoppers as they finish with a 44-18 record. The 44 wins are a school record.
 
Minnesota State-Mankato (42-8) opened the scoring in the third inning when Todd Standish led off with an infield single. After advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt and third on a single by Lucas Skjefte, Standish would come in to score the first run of the game on a double by Connor McCallum. With runners at second and third, Nolan Johnson laced a low line drive down the third base line. DYLAN WATTS was there to snare the ball and dive to the bag and double up the Maverick baserunner for an inning-ending double play.
 
In the top of the fourth, C.J. Manning led things off with a single through the left side. He would advance to second on a sacrifice and third base on a single by WES KOENIG. Watts laced a two-strike single up the middle to plate Manning and knot the score, 1-1. The run was the first that Maverick starting pitcher Jason Hoppe had given up in an NCAA-record 55-straight innings.
 
After the Mavericks tallied a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, St. Edward's (44-18) would respond with a run of its own. With runners at first and second, the Hilltoppers put on a double steal. The throw down to third to try and get JOE PIROZZOLO was low and ended up in left field. Pirozzolo would scamper home to make the score, 2-2.
 
Minnesota State-Mankato added two runs in the fifth inning on a RBI-double by Skjefte and RBI-single from McCallum. Hilltopper relief pitcher MATT DAVIS would strand runners at the corners with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
 
St. Edward's responded with two runs of its own in the top of the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, Pirozzolo would drive in a run when he was hit by a pitch. CUTTER RUNTE would knock in another run with a single through the right side to tie the score, 4-4.
 
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the first two Maverick batters would reach base. They moved up a base on a sacrifice. With one out, Nolan Johnson singled past the drawn-in Hilltopper defense to plate both runners and give the Mavericks a 6-4 lead.
 
St. Edward's would not go down without a fight. In the ninth inning, Runte would lead off with a single up the middle. RANSOM LALONDE followed with a single through the right side. A sacrifice bunt would move both runners into scoring position. A groundout by NATE BOBROWSKI would plate Runte to make it 6-5, and move LaLonde to third. Koenig would fly out to right field to end the rally.
 
St. Edward's would finish with 12 hits for the game, just like the Mavericks. Runte led the team with three safeties, while Watts and LaLonde added two hits each.