WINONA, Minn. – The Winona State baseball team received a pair of solid starting pitching performances and turned in a good day at the plate to post a sweep of the University of Mary Monday afternoon at Loughrey Field in Winona. The Warriors took game one 6-2 before posting an 11-0 shutout in game two.
GAME ONE: WSU 6, MARY 2
Mitchell Stalsberg improved his record to 3-4 on the season, tossing five innings and allowing just three hits and no earned runs with a season-high 11 strikeouts. The bullpen was terrific in relief, as Joe Kubera and Mitch Voter each pitched a pair of perfect innings with three combined strikeouts to savor the 6-2 victory.
After a pair of scoreless innings, the Warriors scored three runs in the top of the third thanks to a two-run triple by Ryan Nyhagen, who then scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.
A pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth helped the Marauders cut the deficit to 3-2, but the Warriors extended the lead in the sixth thanks to back-to-back home runs by Mitch Voter and Tyler Nehring to up the lead to 5-2. The Warriors then made it 6-2 in the top of the seventh when a stolen base by Ryan Nyhagen allowed Joe Kubera to score from third on the throw to second.
GAME TWO: WSU 11, MARY 0
WSU received its second straight stellar pitching performance of the day in game two, as Josh Nielsen pitched a complete game shutout in the 11-0 victory. Nielsen tossed seven innings, scattering five hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
The Warriors jumped out to an early lead as Mitch Voter pushed a single past the third baseman and down the left field line to score Ryan Nyhagen and Joe Kubera and open a 2-0 lead.
The 2-0 lead held up until the fifth inning, when the Warriors plated five runs to break the game open. Three of those runs came on a home run to left field by Jesus Cazares to push the lead to 5-0, and run-scoring singles by Taylor Field and Andrew Geislinger upped the advantage to 7-0.
By this point the Warriors had their sights set on shortening the game to seven innings, and the Warriors did just that with three more runs in the sixth. An RBI fielder's choice by Tyler Nehring made it 8-0 before a two-run single from Taylor Field and an RBI single from pinch hitter Hunter Kruse – his first RBI as a Warrior – made it an 11-0 win, a score that would stick after a scoreless seventh to put the 10-run rule in effect.
Mitch Voter ended game two 3-for-4 with 2 RBI, while Cazares and Field each had two hits and 3 RBI.
Winona State (13-19, 10-9 NSIC) is scheduled to host Augustana Wednesday for a doubleheader beginning at 1:30 p.m. at Loughrey Field.
