WINONA, Minn. – The Winona State Warriors (14-28, 14-18 NSIC) returned home to Loughrey Field to host the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (21-20, 16-13 NSIC) on Thursday, splitting the series. Two homeruns sparked the Warrior offense as WSU took game one 7-3. Two four-run innings from the Bulldogs were too much to overcome as the Warriors fell 12-2 in the second game of the day.
Game 1
Multi Homerun Game Helps Warriors Past Bulldogs
Starting pitcher
Lucas Crimmins surrendered a run on the games second at bat as Marco Lucarelli's single made it 1-0 UMD. Three batters later, shortstop
Derek Martin made a diving stop with the bases loaded, flipping the ball to second for the start of a double play. A run was able to score on the play extending the lead by one before a groundout ended the inning.
Crimmins settled in during the second inning as he struck out the side swinging.
Michael Hommes walked four batters in to the bottom of the inning to load the bases with one out.
Joe Kubera delivered a double to deep center scoring two runs and tying the game.
Treyton Larson singled through the right side scoring two more and giving the Warriors a two-run advantage.
Sam Kohnle continued the scoring, singling and driving in Larson putting WSU up 5-2.
Crimmins followed up his strong second with another strong performance in the third, striking out the first two batters before a fly out ended the inning. After a leadoff strikeout,
Mitchell Heid homered over the scoreboard in right field extending the advantage to four.
The Bulldogs threatened to score again in the fourth loading the bases with two outs. Crimmins was able to notch another strikeout to end the inning with the lead intact. Kubera opened the home half of the fourth with a double to left center. The Warriors later threatened to score after Kubera stole third allowing Larson to take second. New Bulldogs pitcher Travis Berg escaped the inning after a ground out and a fly out.
Will Lundquist pitched to begin the sixth setting down the Bulldogs in order, notching two strikeouts and inducing a ground out to end the inning. Kubera blasted the second Warriors homerun of the game over the right field wall pushing the lead to 7-2.
Lundquist returned for the seventh and final inning of the contest. He would give up a leadoff homerun before striking out the next two batters and inducing a fly out to end the game giving WSU a 7-3 victory.
Game 2
Bulldogs Bats Beat Warriors
Tanner Haessly took the mound in game two looking for the series sweep of the Bulldogs. After two quick outs to begin the contest, the Bulldogs jumped on Haessly for four hits and four runs. The Warriors briefly responded in the bottom of the first as
Jesus Cazares reached on an error allowing Larson from to score.
The Bulldogs got the run back in the third, taking a 5-1 lead. Back-to-back one out singles from Cazares and Kohnle couldn't spark a run for the Warriors as Baumgard set the next two batters down on strikes.
Kubera reached on a leadoff double looking to cut into the deficit. The Warriors couldn't capitalize as a foul out, pick off and ground out kept WSU scoreless in the fifth.
In his third inning of work,
Brett Herber allowed a leadoff single before
Taylor Field threw out the potential base stealer for the first out. After the caught stealing, Herber got the next two outs on a fly out and a foul out. The Warriors threatened in the sixth with runners on first and second with one out before the final two batters struck out, ending the threat.
Minnesota Duluth took control of the game with four runs in the top of the seventh, extending their lead to 8-1. A one-out walk to Kubera gave the Warriors their first baserunner of the seventh inning. A single from Larson gave the Warriors a pair of baserunners. Cazares singled scoring Kubera. The run forced a pitching change by UMD as they brought in Kevin Stocke, who immediately induced an inning ending double play.
The Bulldogs went on a two-out rally in the top of the eighth inning. Two singles and a throwing error resulted in three more UMD runs as the lead reached 12-2. The Warriors failed to score in the bottom of the eighth securing the win for the Bulldogs.
By: Jake Thiede
