SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Winona State University baseball team opened up play in the 2021 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Baseball Tournament this evening, taking on #19 Augustana University in the first game of their best-of-three postseason series.
Head coach
Kyle Poock and the Warriors (22-19) found themselves facing a nationally ranked squad for the second straight week, as the Vikings (32-9) welcomed WSU as they were coming off a three-game series with league champion and Minnesota State - Mankato.
Unfortunately for Winona State, the odd numbered innings proved to be their downfall on the day, as the Vikings put up progressively bigger digits in the first, third and fifth frames on the way to 12-0 shutout win.
Augustana's Will Olson homered with two outs and a runner on to start the Vikings evening and AU would add one more run before the inning was over. The bottom of the third saw a similar script, as Carter Howell homered leading off the inning, sparking the four run outburst and effectively putting the game out of reach.
After a scoreless fourth for both teams, AU tacked on five runs in the fifth, with a one-out walk leading to a series of singles, before a Howell triple off of Warrior pitcher Nathan Santos cleared the bases.
Neither team scored the rest of the way, with Winona State suffering the one-sided setback, 12-0.
Offensively, Sam Kohnle extended his streak of reaching base to nine games with a first inning single, one of six Warrior hits. Nick Herbst, Derek Martin, Austin Savary, Zac Stange and Blake Kretovics all had singles in the game. Martin drew the only Warrior walk off of AU pitching and Derek Baumgartner threw out the Viking's JT Mix attempting to steal in the second.
On the mound, Winona State starter Bailey Banaszynski (5-3) took the loss, while the Warriors used several arms in the contest. Peter Tveite, Mitchell Mueller, Nathan Santos, Justin Firpo and Jacob Huebsch all threw for WSU, with Huebsch going a full two frames at the end.
The two teams will tangle tomorrow, with a 1:30pm start time set in Sioux Falls for game two. The Warriors will have to win to force a decisive game three, which would start approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opening game.
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.
