Winona State used rallies in both games to come-from-behind for a 6-2 and 11-6 Northern Sun Conference baseball sweep over Wayne State College Wednesday afternoon at the Pete Chapman Baseball Complex in Wayne. The visiting Warriors now extend the NSICs current longest win streak to eight games and improve to 17-10 overall and 14-8 in the NSIC while WSC falls to 10-16 and 9-13 in conference games.
The opener saw Winona State score four runs in the fifth inning to snap a 2-2 tie giving the Warriors a 6-2 victory over the Cats.
After Winona State scored single runs in the second and third for a 2-0 lead, WSC tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the third on a two-run single from Bryce Bisenius that scored Brenden Madsen (single) and Alex Logelin (double).
The Warriors gained control of the opener with a four-run fifth inning on four hits and one Wildcat error to take a 6-2 lead.
WSC got the first two batters aboard in the bottom of the fifth on walks, but could not produce any hits after that to rally and cut into the Warrior advantage.
Winona State held a 12-5 edge in hits over WSC. Madsen was 2 for 3 with a run scored. Logelin and Noah Roberts each doubled while Bisenius added a two-run single.
Starter Brody Sintek (2-2) suffered the pitching loss, allowing six runs over 4 1/3 innings with four strikeouts and two walks. Lefthander Andrew Staebell worked the final 2 2/3 innings and did not allow a run on four hits with two strikeouts.
The second game saw Winona State produce five runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth to help erase a 4-1 Wildcat lead as the Warriors completed the sweep with an 11-6 win.
Madsen led off the game with a walk and scored on a Roberts groundout to put the Cats in front 1-0 early.
Two runs in the third gave WSC a 3-1 lead. Eric Standish had an RBI single while Conner Fiene had a sacrifice fly that scored Roberts (singled).
WSC took a 4-1 lead in the fourth when Andrew Hanson reached on an outfield error by Winona State and scored.
The Warriors closed within 4-3 with two runs in the fifth, then put the game out of reach with five runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth for an 11-4 lead.
Wayne State scored single runs in the eighth and ninth to close out the scoring. Peyton Barnes singled in the eighth and scored on a Madsen groundout while the run in the ninth came when Hanson tripled and crossed home plate on a groundout by Bisenius.
WSC had nine hits in the game, led by Hanson going 2 for 5 with a triple and two runs scored. Barrnes was 2 for 3 with a run scored while Fiene doubled.
Reliever Logan Walters, one of seven Wildcat pitchers, was tagged with the pitching loss. He was charged with four runs in 1/3 inning allowing three hits with one walk.
The Wildcats will be at home again this weekend, hosting #20 Minnesota State in a three-game NSIC series with a doubleheader Saturday at 1:30 p.m. followed by a nine-inning contest Sunday at noon.
