FAYETTE, Iowa – The Warrior baseball team traveled to Upper Iowa University on Wednesday afternoon and returns to Winona State's campus with a much-needed sweep behind an offensive drubbing of the Peacocks. Aaron Mutter tossed a complete game gem in a 6-2 win to open the day before the Warriors unleashed 17 hits in the finale for a 16-2 run-rule victory.
The Warriors (19-18, 11-13 NSIC) get back over the .500 mark after reeling off three straight wins while UIU falls to 11-24 (8-21 NSIC).
Mutter (4-2) pitched his second complete game of the year, allowing two runs on just four hits while striking out a season-high nine batters over 7.0 IP.
Dillon Whittaker (4-3) gave the Warriors five solid innings in game two, scattering five hits and allowing just one run while striking out four batters.
The Peacocks jumped Mutter for a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first in game one, but the Warrior junior was unfazed and threw zeros at the home team over the next three frames. The Winona State offense got its big day started with four runs in the top of the third and Mutter cruised for the remainder of his outing with the lead in his back pocket.
Mitchell Seager led off the third with a single followed by a pair of walks by Derek Martin and Tanner Williams to load the bases for WSU with one out. Sam Kohnle put the Warriors on the board with a sac fly to chase home Seager. The next man up, Chad Herbst, singled to left center for a 2-1 Warrior lead. Austin Savary's second hit of the game was a two-run single to left-center field and capped the inning to stake Mutter to a 4-1 lead.
Winona State had traffic on the base paths all day long, and loaded the bases in the fifth inning for the third time in the opening game. Nick Nalewanski cashed in a with a two-run single to account for the final 6-2 score.
On the mound, Mutter was on cruise control, sitting the Peacocks down in order over the final three frames for a Warrior win.
Winona State jumped out front early in game two putting up a three-spot on the board in the opening frame. WSU continued its trend of loading the bases as Zac Stange, Williams and Kohnle each reached base before Herbst drove in a pair with a single down the left field line to begin the offensive onslaught. Kohnle scored on a wild pitch later in the inning to give Whittaker a 3-0 lead to work with heading to the bottom of the first.
Whittaker also surrendered a first-inning run to the home team, but dominated the Peacocks for the remainder of his outing.
The Warriors put the game out of reach in the third inning by hanging eight runs on Upper Iowa after sending 12 men to the plate. Martin struck out to begin the inning and Winona State promptly strung together six straight hits and plating five runs with just one out. Martin got his shot at redemption with two outs and two on later in the frame, and connected on a three-run homer to left field to make it an 11-1 ballgame.
WSU picked up right where they left off in the fourth inning by adding four more runs in the fifth frame. Nalewanski and Martin continued their big days with run-scoring hits in the inning and Williams chipped in an RBI-double to give the Warriors a 14-run cushion.
Redshirt freshman Kyle Kosobucki made the most of his pinch-hit opportunity in the seventh with a solo home run to left field.
Whittaker exited the game after five solid innings of work leaving the remaining two innings to his bullpen. Parker Holmstrom faced the minimum in the sixth inning and struck out one batter before Nicolas Herold recorded the final three outs on the mound.
Nalewanski combined for five RBI in the doubleheader while Martin registered his second five-RBI tilt in the finale to regain the team lead (27).
The Warriors return home to Loughrey Field this weekend for a three-game series against Sioux Falls. First pitch of Friday's doubleheader is set for 3 p.m. with the final game of the set slated for 12 p.m. on Sunday. The series schedule has been altered due to inclement weather forecast in Winona on Saturday.
