WINONA, Minn. – Following a fourteen game road trip, the Winona State Warriors (11-23. 11-13 NSIC) returned home to Maxwell Field to take on the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs (8-22, 3-17 NSIC) for a four game series. Aaron Mutter went six strong innings in game one only surrendering one run in his way to his third victory of the season as the Warriors took game one 3-1. The Warriors scored five in the eighth inning in game number two as Winona State swept day one with a 9-6 victory.

Game 1
Mutters Strong outing Mutes Mustangs

Aaron Mutter god the nod to take the mound in the first game of the series. After a fly out to begin the game, an error put a runner on first before Mutter induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. Justin Clark replicated the fast top half of the inning for the Mustangs setting the Warriors down in order.

Mutter had another strong inning in the second, striking out two batters swinging while stranding one runner on base after a single. Sam Kohnle opened the second with a single to center field, he was later thrown out on a stolen base attempt following a strikeout before Clark set down his second strikeout victim of the inning.

SMSU got a runner in scoring position after a walk and a wild pitch put Jayden Fleck on second. Mutter was able to strand the runner as he induced a fly ball out to center. Winona State was unable to capitalize on a leadoff double from Mitchell Heid, as a pop out and two strikeouts ended the third.

Back-to-back singles by SMSU set up a sacrifice bunt advancing the runners to second and third. A single would load the bases with two outs before Liam Lopez walked to score the game's first run. Mutter struck out Brian Redemske a batter later ending the inning. Treyton Larson singled up the middle to begin the bottom of the fourth, a foul out and a pop out gave WSU two outs before Larson took second on a wild pick-off attempt and then third on a balk. Kipp Youngquist capitalized, knocking a single to right field trying the game at one. Consecutive walks loaded the bases forcing the Mustangs to bring in Shawn Williams to pitch. Williams surrendered a walk giving Winona State a 2-1 lead before pop out ended the inning.

Mutter was able to work around a leadoff walk dialing in to get two consecutive strikeouts including one on a strike him out throw him out double play as Field threw out his second runner on the day. Kubera walked to being the home half of the fifth before a sacrifice bunt advanced him to second. A throwing error on the bunt allowed Kubera to take third. Kohnle scored Kubera two batters later on a ground out giving the Warriors a 3-1 lead.

SMSU went scoreless in the sixth, stranding two runners on base after consecutive one out singles. WSU got two runners on base in the bottom half of the inning on a walk and a fielding error but the Warriors were held scoreless after a pop out ended the inning.

Parker Holmstrom entered the game in the seventh looking for the save with two-run lead. Holmstrom held the Mustangs scoreless in the final inning of play, getting out of a one out bases loaded jam inducing a 1-2-3 double play to end the game with a 3-1 Warrior victory.

Game 2
Five Run Eighth Puts Warriors Ahead of Mustangs

Hayden Krimmer looked to lead the Warriors to a first day sweep over the Mustangs as he took the mound to start game two.  Krimmer set down SMSU in order to begin play in the top of the first. Cole Peterson started game two for SMSU as the Mustangs tried to split Thursday's games. Kubera started Winona State with a single before advancing to second on a fielding error. Jesus Cazares reached first on an error two batters later, scoring Kubera and giving WSU an early one-run lead.

Following a leadoff strikeout in the third, a single to left gave SMSU their first hit of the contest. Back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning two batters later. Kubera once again led off with a single in the third inning before two groundouts and a strikeout ended the inning.

Krimmer notched the first two outs of the fourth inning before a pair of singles gave the Mustangs two baserunners. Krimmer set Tanner Luebke down looking to end the inning. Youngquist singled up the middle before stealing second base two outs later. A fly out ended the inning during the next at bat.

SMSU remained scoreless in the fifth inning as Krimmer continued to pitch effectively. Consecutive walks started the inning for WSU and then Larson singled to load the bases. Peterson threatened to keep Winona State scoreless in the inning notching two pop outs but Youngquist singled to center during the next at bat scoring two extending the lead to 3-0.

A one out single and walk loaded the bases for the Mustangs in the top of the sixth, before Luebke reached on a fielder's choice scoring a run. Luebke stole second during the next at bat and Cole Vanderbeek scored on a throwing error by Krimmer bringing the score to 3-2. Winona State went down in order in the bottom half of the inning on a pop out and two groundouts.

Will Lundquist entered the game in the seventh for WSU as the Warriors fought to keep their advantage. A single and a fielder's choice put runners on first and third before Tanner Strommen grounded out scoring a run to tie the game at three apiece. James Hardy entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning for the Mustangs. Michael Hommes was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the seventh inning as Kubera followed with a walk. Cazares hit a near homerun that was caught on the warning track for an out before Nick Nalewanski singled to left scoring Kubera and putting WSU up one.

Parker Holmstrom entered the eighth inning with two outs and runners on first and second. Brady Lanoue doubled off the wall in right field scoring two runs before Strommen knocked Lanoue home on a single to left center giving SMSU a 6-4 advantage. Davis Bryan entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. Singles by Heid and Nathan Krause paired with Derek Martin being hit by a pitch loaded the bases. Hommes singled down the left field line scoring Krause and Andrew Pliner, who pinch ran for Heid. Larson later doubled scoring two more giving Winona State an 8-6 lead. A catcher's interference would allow Kubera to score extending the advantage by one.

Holmstrom returned in the ninth inning looking to give the Warriors there second win on the day. Holmstrom set the Mustangs down in order sealing the 9-6 victory.
By: Jake Thiede