WINONA, Minn. – On Monday afternoon the Winona State Warriors (3-11, 3-1 NSIC) split their doubleheader with Minnesota, Crookston (7-9, 1-3 NSIC. The Warriors would end up taking three of the four games against the Golden Eagles in their series.
GAME ONE
After neither team managed a hit in the first inning, the Golden Eagles threatened in the top of the second. A pair of two out hits would go to waste as
Daniel Karlin-Kamin stuck out his third batter of the game to end the inning. The first two batters in the bottom of the inning would reach base for the Warriors but after a sac bunt a pair of fly ball outs kept the game scoreless.
Winona State ended the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third.
Treyton Larson drew a one out walk to get things start.
Michael Hommes singled to center field as Larson moved up to third. Larson would come home on
Joe Kubera's sac fly to right field.
The game would not see another hit until the bottom of the fifth when
Kipp Youngquist doubled down the line in right to kick off the inning. Youngquist would score via an error by the left fielder, when he miss handled a single by
Derek Martin. Larson drew a walk and WSU had runners on first and second. Martin scored the Warriors second run of the inning, touching home after a single through the right side by Kubera. Kubera would steal second putting runners on second and third for
Jesus Cazares. Cazares would come through, doubling to left field and driving in both Larson and Kubera, giving WSU a 5-0 lead.
Crookston would pick up a single in the sixth and seventh inning but didn't do anything with it and Winona State picked up the five run victory.
Karlin-Kamin finished the day with seven strikeouts, scattering four hits in the complete game win. Cazares finished the day with two hits, leading WSU in that category.
GAME TWO
Minnesota Crookston took an early 1-0 lead with a sac fly in the top of the first. Winona State would answer back with a two-out rally in the bottom of the inning.
Joe Kubera doubled off the wall in right center and then scored on an error by the third baseman.
The Golden Eagles nearly retook the lead in the second inning putting runners on second and third with one out.
Brett Herber, the Warriors starter, would work out of the jam inducing a ground ball to shortstop and then a strikeout.
After the Warriors went down quietly in the bottom of the second, the Golden Eagles quickly put runners on first and third. Crookston would take a 2-1 lead with a fielder's choice ground out to second base. Another run would score when Mitchell Bornhauser doubled to left field, driving in Reed Hjelle and giving the Eagles a 3-1 lead. Kubera started another two out rally in the third, singled up the middle. With Cazares at the plate, Kubera stole second ahead of a double off the wall by Cazares. The run would bring the Warriors within one at 3-2. For Kubera it was his fourth stolen base of the season.
Minnesota Crookston opened the game up in the fourth inning, scoring four runs on four hits and taking a 7-2 lead. Winona State would get back to scoring runs in the bottom of the fifth when Cazares connected with the ball for two-run double down the line in left.
In the top of the sixth inning Minnesota Crookston tried to run away, scoring three runs and taking a 10-4 lead. Winona State responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning.
Andrew Pliner tripled to right center to lead off the inning. Pliner would score a batter later when
Sam Kohnle singled to left field. Later in the inning
Michael Hommes drove in a run with a fielder's choice, cutting the deficit to four.
After a scoreless seventh inning the Golden Eagles tacked on an unearned run to take an 11-6 lead into the bottom of the eighth. Winona State loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth but could not get a runner home. It was the last real chance for the Warriors as UMC avoided the sweep with an 11-6 win.
Larson, Hommes, Kubera, Cazares and Kohnle all had two hits in the second game of the day. Cazares finished with three RBI's.
