Mike Eckhart drove in the decisive run in the top of the ninth inning and top-seeded Minnesota State Mankato beat St. Cloud State 5-4 Sunday, capping a 4-0 run at home in the NCAA Division II Central Region tournament and earning a spot in the D-II College World Series.

The Mavericks (48-10) loaded the bases in the ninth inning on walks to Matt Kuchenbecker and Pat Dockendorf before Matt Odegaard, the tournament MVP, was hit by a pitch. Eckhart followed with a sacrifice fly, making a winner out of Bryce Bellin, who held the Huskies (48-14) to one hit in three innings of relief.

Minnesota State earned its sixth berth in the D-II World Series and second in three years. The tournament begins Saturday in Cary, N.C.