ST. PAUL, Minn.  – Heading into Friday's games against Concordia St. Paul looking to solidify NSIC postseason opportunities, the Winona State University baseball team knew every win would make a difference.
The Warriors delivered in game one with a runaway win and took the nightcap, outlasting CSP with timely hitting and solid relief pitching. 
 
Game One

Concordia St. Paul scored first, plating one run in the bottom of second inning but Winona State responded with a four-run third frame to take control of the game and never looked back.

WSU starter Kyle Gendron went four full innings, holding the Golden Bears to just one hit and a single run, while striking out two. Gendron earned the win while Caleb Strack took the save with three innings of stellar work in relief.  Gendron allowed just one hit and Strack none, as the Warrior staff combined for the key win.

At the plate, Dane Weiland went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, while Cooper Kapanke was 3-for-4 and three RBI, pacing a Warrior offense that racked up 11 hits to equal their 11 runs. Joshua Hawksford reached base on a base hit for the ninth straight game.  Kapanke also had a stolen base and both Kapanke and Weiland hit home runs in the contest.
The 11-2 Warrior win marked the largest margin of victory for WSU this season.

Game Two

Winona State went on to complete the sweep with a 7-5 win in ten innings, outlasting the Golden Bears to move to 13-12 in the NSIC, a key mark in the race for the Conference postseason.

The two teams each racked up 15 hits in a game that saw nine different players take the mound between both squads. In the end, WSU's Justin Firpo earned the win, throwing the ninth and tenth frames, allowing no runs and striking out four of the eight batters he faced.  Coming on with the game tied at 5-5, Firpo found run support from Joshua Hawksford whose single to right scored Nick Herbst and Mason Trocke.

Firpo closed the door on the home side in the bottom of the tenth, striking out two Golden Bears, including the final out with two CSP runners in scoring position.

Leading up to Firpo's victory was a trio of Warriors, with Dillon Whittaker getting the start and going 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits. Whittaker struck out five before giving way to Peter Tveite. Zach Watzka went one and 1/3 innings as did Tveite, before Firpo's debut in the ninth.

Mason Trocke was 3-for-5 in the game, collecting a pair of RBI. Cooper Kapanke, Carter Brinkman, Austin Beyer and Joshua Hawksford each had a pair of base hits in the game. For Hawksford, his two singles extended his hitting streak to ten games.

Now at 15-21 overall and 13-12 in the NSIC, Winona State solidified it's spot in the 2022 NSIC Baseball postseason picture. Final determinations and pairings will be announced at the conclusion of all NSIC contests tomorrow. Winona State will face Concordia, St. Paul one final time on Saturday, with a single nine-inning game scheduled for noon in St. Paul.