WINONA, Minn. – Entering the final week of the regular season, Winona State University salvaged a split with Sioux Falls on Friday evening at Loughrey Field to maintain its position for a potential postseason tournament berth. The Warriors dropped the opener of a three-game weekend series to the Cougars, 7-4, before rallying for a walk-off 7-6 win in the bottom of the ninth of the nightcap.
Chad Herbst drove in the winning run in game two as Winona State concludes the day with a record of 20-19, 12-14 NSIC) while Sioux Falls drops to 11-33 (9-21 NSIC).
Herbst's one-out sac fly in the ninth capped four unanswered runs as the Warriors trailed 6-3 heading to the bottom of the fifth inning to pull out the split. The teams will have to wait until Sunday to play the rubber match due to inclement weather forecast in Winona on Saturday.
Senior Parker Holmstrom (3-1) was the winning pitcher in game two, blanking the Cougars over 4.0 IP in relief while allowing just two baserunners and striking out five batters. Sioux Falls got to WSU starter Austin Savary for three runs (two earned) over the first two innings before the Warrior bullpen took over and the bats came to life.
Trailing 3-0 heading to the bottom of the third inning, Zac Stange put the Warriors on the scoreboard with an RBI-single. Sam Kohnle followed suit to make it a one-run game and Herbst drove in his first run of the affair to knot at the score at 3-3 in the frame.
Sioux Falls benefited from three unearned runs in the finale, two of which came as part of a three-run fifth inning as the Cougars regained a 6-3 advantage. A leadoff walk by Stange in the bottom of the fifth preempted a two-run homer by Tanner Williams and suddenly the Warriors were within one of the lead. Herbst continued his big day with a two-out triple later in the inning but was stranded at third in a 6-5 ballgame.
Mitchell Seager kept the WSU momentum going in the bottom of the sixth by unloaded on a two-out solo shot to knot the score.
After entering in the top of the sixth, Holmstrom retired the first six batters he faced before allowing his lone hit in the eighth inning and worked around a two-out walk in the ninth to set up Herbst's heroics at the plate in the bottom of the frame.
Friday marked the first three-homer day of the season for WSU as the Warriors have been on a power surge of late, launching six long balls over the last six games. In game one, Andrew Pliner's first round-tripped of the year staked Winona State to a 3-1 lead in the second inning before Nick Nalewanski's sac fly made it a 4-1 game heading to the third frame.
Freshman starter Kyle Gendron was unable to hold the lead as Sioux Falls responded with six unanswered runs over the third and fourth innings which ultimately held as the final score, 7-4. Senior reliever Jacob Watzka blanked the Cougars over the final three innings, but the Warrior bats were unable to make up the difference in the setback.
Kohnle went 3-for-4 at the plate in the loss as WSU out-hit USF, 9-6.
The Warriors and Cougars will conclude their three-game series on Sunday afternoon in Winona with a 12 p.m. first pitch scheduled on Senior Day.
