TUCSON, Ariz. — The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team improved to .500 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Tuesday, closing the game with six unanswered runs to claim a 10-4 win.

Winona State tied the game at four runs apiece in the bottom of the seventh when Easton Arendt singled in Payton Kohnle. Yet, SMSU rallied back ahead in the top of the eighth with a six-run inning.

Caleb Gardow singled to start off the frame and a Levi Lampert single and a Henry Hammrich intentional walk loaded the bases with one out. Cory Bantam broke the tension with a two-run single to give SMSU the lead. 

After Winona State subbed Brayden Deering onto the mound for Max Strecker, Hammrich scored on a wild pitch, Tyler Froland singled and Chuck Hackett hit a three-run homer to make the score 10-4.

Lampert and Gardow each finished the game with three hits for SMSU, shy only of Jared Cortez’s four hits in five at-bats, while Hackett’s three RBIs were a game-high. Froland, Bantam and Lampert each drove in another pair of runs. 

Vinny Maura earned the win in a 1 2/3-inning relief appearance, improving to 1-1 on the season by limiting the Warriors to one earned run on three hits and a pair of walks. Cameron Jensen closed out the win from there with two scoreless innings, surrendering one hit and striking out another batter.

Hackett’s clinching homer was one of three in the game for the Mustangs. Lampert hit a two-run shot in the fifth inning to give SMSU a 2-1 lead and Froland hit another two-run homer in the same frame to make the score 4-1.

Winona State scored the game’s first runs when Cole Fuecker singled in a run in the bottom of the third. After SMSU surged ahead, Adam Wall hit a two-run double in the fifth to bring the Warriors within a run of the Mustangs.

Noah Cekalla started on the hill for SMSU, tossing two shutout frames with one hit and two strikeouts before being relieved by Bennett Knapper, who allowed one unearned run on two hits with a strikeout over 1 1/3. Cullen Huppert also pitched middle relief for the Mustangs, surrendering two earned runs on two walks and three hits over two innings.

Strecker was charged with the loss for Winona State, his first decision of the season. He allowed four earned runs on three hits and one walk while getting just one out.

Drew Lingen started for Winona, allowing three earned and one unearned run on eight hits over 4 1/3. Nathan Vela pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings and surrendered just one hit before being relieved by Strecker.

SMSU improves to 6-3 overall and 2-2 in conference after picking up its third consecutive win. The Mustangs will try to keep their momentum rolling when they take on Minot State today at 11 a.m. at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Ariz.