The Minot State baseball team’s season ended following a loss to U-Mary in an elimination game at the NSIC Tournament on Thursday, May 7, in Sioux Falls, S.D. Mike Kraft/MDN

For the second straight day, the Minot State baseball team couldn’t get the bats going and its season came to an end as a result.

Less than 24 hours after being shutout for just the fourth time this season, the Beavers could produce only two runs on eight hits and left seven runners on base in an 8-2 loss to U-Mary in an elimination game at the NSIC Tournament on Thursday, May 7, at The Birdcage in Sioux Falls, S.D. Minot State has lost its last five postseason games dating back to 2022.

The Beavers (26-25) plated their first run of the tournament in the first inning to grab an early 1-0 lead over the Marauders. Minot State loaded the bases with one out and Wyatt Toth drove in Vinnie Gates on a fielder’s choice.

U-Mary (35-17) took the lead with two runs in the third. Marcus Butts tied the game with an RBI single up the middle, plating Mikey Ramirez from second. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Bryce Leafgren singled to center to score Kalem Haney. Minot State avoided further damage, getting Hank Griffin to pop out to second and Kieran Gaffney grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

Isaac Pegors extended U-Mary’s lead to 4-2 with one of the team’s two home runs in the contest. Pegors sent a 1-1 offering from Minot State starting pitcher Ayden Sauerbrei over the fence in left for a two-run shot.

Any hope of a comeback for the Beavers was extinguished in the seventh. Ramirez, Haney and Butts all singled to lead off the frame. After a fly out from Pegors, Leafgren cleared the bases with a grand slam on the first pitch of his at bat to give the Marauders an 8-1 lead.

Noah Madas homered for the Beavers in the eighth.

Michael Williamson led the Beavers with three hits.

Leafgren finished with a game-high five RBIs. He and three other Marauders recorded multiple hits.

Aiden Johnson picked up his fifth win of the season for U-Mary, pitching eight innings. He allowed two runs on six hits, striking out eight and walking two.

Sauerbrei suffered the loss, allowing four wins on six hits in six innings. He struck out two and walked three.

The Beavers finished above .500 for the first time since the 2023 season.