ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Winona State University opened a three-game weekend series with Maryville University on Friday with a sweep of the Saints. The Warriors scored five runs in the top of the ninth to complete a 10-7 come-from-behind victory in the opener as rode a stellar pitching performance from Caleb Schoenholz in the 4-2 finale.
Freshman Kyle Gendron came on in relief in game one and pitched five scoreless innings of one-hit ball while allowing the Warrior bats to seven unanswered runs in the comeback win. Schoenholz scattered just four hits over 5.2 IP in the game two victory.
Winona State plated the first run in the top of the second of the opening ballgame after Andrew Pliner reached on a bunt single to third base and later came around to score on a single to center by Derek Martin. In the bottom of the inning, WSU starter Aaron Mutter worked himself out of a bases-loaded to maintain the 1-0 lead.
The Saints jumped ahead with a two-run single in the bottom of the third, but the lead was short-lived as Mitchell Seager tripled with one out in the fourth and scored on a sac fly by Nick Nalewanski to knot the score at 2-2.
Mutter saw the flood gates open in the bottom of the fourth when Maryville tagged the right-hander for five runs (three earned) to take a 7-2 advantage.
The Warriors began to chip away at their deficit on a solo homer by Tanner Williams in the fifth before tacking on two more runs in the sixth. On the mound, Gendron made quick work of Maryville in his first four innings of relief by setting down 12 straight batters.
Trailing 7-5 in the ninth, Winona State hung a crooked number on the scoreboard. The Warriors loaded the bases to start the frame on a pair of walks and a bunt single by Williams. A two-run single by Austin Savary tied the game at 7-7 ahead of a Maryville error that allowed the go-ahead run to score. A bases-loaded walk by Nalewanski and a sac fly by Martin accounted for the final two tallies of the five-run inning.
With the lead intact, Gendron worked himself out of a jam that saw the Saints bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth as the rookie went on to earn his first collegiate victory on the mound.
Game two was more of a pitcher's duel between Schoenholz and Maryville's Cody Creed as the two blanked the opposition over their first two innings of work.
The Warriors struck first once again with a pair of runs in the third inning. Nathan Loomis drew a leadoff walk ahead of a single by Zac Stange and came around to score on a fielder's choice by Williams. Sam Kohnle added a sac fly to make it a 2-0 ballgame.
Stange's two-out two-run single in the fourth doubled the WSU lead while Schoenholz continued to deal on the mound. The Saints finally got to the junior southpaw in the bottom of the sixth before Nicolas Herold entered the game in relief to end the Maryville rally in the frame. Herold allowed just two baserunners and no hits over the final 1.1 IP to record the save.
The Warriors spread the wealth offensively at the plate, but Stange led the way with a 4-for-7 day at the dish with three RBI and a pair of runs scored.
Winona State improves to 3-1 on the season while Maryville falls to 1-9.
The teams were originally scheduled for a four-game weekend series, but will wrap up play with just one final game due to weather on Saturday afternoon with a 12 p.m. first pitch.
