Wayne, Neb. — St. Cloud State scored two runs with two outs in the top of the seventh inning to win the opener 4-3 and carried that momentum into the second game for a 12-2 win to sweep Wayne State College in Northern Sun Conference baseball played Thursday afternoon at the Pete Chapman Baseball Complex in Wayne. WSC drops to 3-5 and 2-3 in the NSIC while SCSU is now 5-5 overall and 3-2 in league games.
The Wildcats controlled most of the opening game in the doubleheader, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first two innings.
Junior third baseman Noah Roberts opened the game with a leadoff homer over the left field wall. Alex Logelin and Eric Standish followed by back-to-back doubles for a 2-0 lead in the first.
WSC added another run in the second when Brendan Madsen walked and later scored on a wild pitch for a 3-0 Wildcat cushion.
St. Cloud State scored single runs in the fourth and fifth off Wildcat starter Brody Sintek to make the score 3-2.
Sintek worked five innings and gave way to the Wildcat bullpen as senior lefthander Aaron Ras fired a scoreless sixth keeping WSC with a 3-2 lead heading into the seventh.
The Huskies rallied in the seventh with a two-run, two out single through the left side that scored two runs giving St. Cloud State a 4-3 advantage, the only time they led the opener.
SCSU held a 12-5 hit advantage over the Wildcats. Roberts homered while Logelin, Standish and Connor Fiene each doubled.
Reliever Lawson Zenner (1-1) was tagged with the pitching loss. Sintek worked five strong innings in the start, allowing just two runs (one earned) on seven hits with six strikeouts and one walk.
The second game saw St. Cloud State erupt for seven runs in the fifth inning to snap a 2-2 tie as the Huskies completed the sweep with a 12-2 win in seven innings.
Scoreless entering the fourth inning, both teams scored two runs. Wayne State’s runs came when Bryce Bisenius was hit by a pitch and later scored on a SCSU throwing error while Peyton Barnes doubled and scored on a Madsen RBI single.
But St. Cloud State produced seven runs in the fifth inning on five hits and three walks to take control of the game for a 9-2 lead. The Huskies added three runs in the seventh for the final 12-2 score.
Wayne State was held to just four hits in the contest. Barnes and Max Ploof each had doubles while Bisenius and Madsen both singled.
Starting pitcher Trenton Frerichs (1-1) suffered the pitching loss for WSC, firing 4 2/3 innings. Logan Walters, Josh Yelick and Nick Oden each worked in relief for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats will be at home this weekend, hosting Southwest Minnesota State in an NSIC doubleheader Saturday starting at 1:30 p.m. followed by another doubleheader Sunday with a nine-inning NSIC game set for 12 p.m. followed by a non-conference seven-inning game to close out the doubleheader at 2:30 p.m.
