WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University baseball team swept Upper Iowa in commanding fashion on Wednesday, claiming a pair of key wins to climb in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) standings.
A standout complete game pitching performance did the trick in the opener, with
Bailey Banaszynski going the distance in a 2-0 Warrior win.
In the nightcap, WSU bats came alive in an 8-1 victory, with
Justin Firpo picking up the win on the mound. With the sweep, WSU finished the day at 20-12 overall and 17-10 in the NSIC; Upper Iowa fell to 12-22 overall and own a 10-17 NSIC mark.
Game One
Upper Iowa starting pitcher Jarrett Ramer brought his 'A' game from Fayette in the opener, holding WSU to just two earned runs in almost five innings of work. Fortunately for Winona State,
Bailey Banaszynski was better, throwing a three-hit complete game shutout in which he struck out nine Peacocks.
WSU was able to manufacture some runs in a game with few scoring chances for either team, with
Carter Brinkman singling in
Austin Savary in the fourth inning with what would prove to be the game-winning run. Winona State doubled its lead in the next frame when
Sam Kohnle plated
Derek Martin on a single to right center after Martin had reached base on a double.
The two runs was all Banaszynski needed on the day, as he dealt Upper Iowa a steady stream of strikes, putting himself up in the count on most batters and controlling the contest from the outset. The sophomore from Brookfield, Wis. had a one-hitter heading into the seventh inning before back-to-back base hits saw UIU threaten in their final at-bats. However, Banaszynski collected two successive outs on a pop-up and ground ball out, and then struck out pinch hitter Casey Zarr to end the game and collect the victory.
Warrior catcher
Derek Baumgartner threw out UIU's Sam Grushkin to kill a potential Peacock rally in the sixth, and overall, the WSU defense was rock solid in the contest, with zero errors committed and no passed balls in the game.
Carter Brinkman was 2-for-3 for Winona State, while
Joe Ihrke drew two walks. Kohnle was 2-for-3 overall as well.
For Banaszynski, his record moves to 5-2 on the year and the shutout marked his second complete game of the season.
Game Two
After a quiet first game offensively, Winona State racked up 13 hits en route to an 8-1 win in the nightcap, marking the fifth NSIC sweep this season for head coach
Kyle Poock and his team.
Justin Firpo got the start on the hill and received some strong third inning run support when
Austin Savary homered over off the Maxwell Field press box, scoring three RBI's in the process.
Nick Herbst and
Derek Martin both scored on Savory's blast, his first of the year.
Not to be outdone,
Carter Brinkman hit his second home run of the season in the next inning, stretching Winona State's lead to 5-0 after five frames. Upper Iowa scored their lone run in the top of the sixth, when Hogan Penny scored Jake Hilmer to spoil the shutout.
Sam Kohnle and
Austin Beyer collected RBIs in the sixth and eight innings respectively, as the Warriors piled on the runs, providing strong support for middle relievers
Mitchell Mueller and
Peter Tveite.
Nicolas Herold took over in the ninth to finish the game; the senior from Coon Rapids, Minn. struck out one Peacock and a Warrior 6-4-3 double play ended the game after a UIU walk and a single.
Justin Firpo earned the win for the Warriors, while
Austin Savary went 2-for-3 with four RBI and
Carter Brinkman was 2-for-4, two runs scored and a RBI.
Sam Kohnle extended his hitting streak to eight games with an impressive 3-for-4 effort at the plate in game two.
Up next for Winona State is the University of Sioux Falls, as the Warriors travel west for three games over the weekend of Saturday, May 1 and Sunday, May 2.
With the two wins today, Winona State moves to 20-12 overall and 17-10 in NSIC play.
For the most up to date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit: www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.
About Winona State University Athletics:
The Winona State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, as an integral part of the educational mission of the institution, is committed to offering opportunities to experience academic and athletic excellence for our student-athletes through two simple words: Graduate Champions.
Fourteen Warrior programs compete at the NCAA Division II level within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Winona State University competes as an affiliate member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in the sport of women's gymnastics.
Media Contact: Pete Watkins, Director of Athletic Communications | Ph: 507.457.5577 | Email: pwatkins@winona.edu
