ST. PAUL, Minn. – Winona State University suffered its first series loss in over a month on Sunday when the Warriors were swept in the final two games of a four-game set at Concordia-St. Paul. The Golden Bears jumped out front early in the opener to secure a 7-2 win and withstood as late Warrior rally in the finale to escape with a 5-4 victory.
Freshman Dillon Whittaker started game one in search of his fifth win of the season. CSP had other plans as they took Whittaker deep three times in the game. A two-run homer in the bottom of the first opened the scoring for Concordia.
Sam Kohnle got one run back for the Warriors in the top of the third on a two-out double, scoring Nathan Loomis.
CSP peppered Whittaker again in the third and fourth inning with two more two-run shots, taking a 6-1 lead.
Each team added one in the more run in the sixth inning and the Warriors fell, 7-2.
Whittaker (4-1) suffered his first loss of the year. The right-hander only allowed five other Golden Bear hits besides the balls that left the park and was charged with six runs (four earned) while striking out three over 4.0 IP. Logan Grunenwald tossed a scoreless inning of relief out of the WSU bullpen.
In the finale, CSP plated a run apiece in the first two innings to take an early 2-0 lead once again.
The Warriors answered as Andrew Pliner scored on a wild pitch after leading off the fourth with an infield single. Two innings later, Winona State would tie the game at 2-2 in the sixth frame when Mitchell Heid singled up the middle scoring Taylor Field.
The Golden Bears immediately answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to retake the lead. CSP pushed another across in the seventh that would prove to be the deciding factor.
Winona State made one last effort at a comeback when Loomis and Pliner both homered to make it a one-run game. Unfortunately, the Warriors were unable to manufacture another run to tie it and came away with a loss.
Austin Savary (4-1) also suffered his first setback on the mound this season for WSU. The freshman allowed five runs on 10 hits over 7.0 IP and struck out four batters and did not issue a walk.
Concordia improves to 20-12 (13-9 NSIC) and leapfrogs Winona State (17-18, 16-12 NSIC) as the Warriors enter the final week of the regular season in sixth place in the conference standings. The Warriors fall to below the .500 mark at 17-18 (16-12 NSIC) with the two losses today.
Winona State returns home for the regular season finale against Northern State this weekend with a four-game series. First pitch of the Friday doubleheader is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
