WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University baseball team hosted Minot State University in a site-reversed matchup as weather and field conditions in Minot, North Dakota saw the mid-week NSIC doubleheader relocated to Loughrey Field.
Winona State earned an 8-4 win in game one behind a stellar effort from
Peyton Lee and lost 9-8 in game two.
Winona State 8, Minot State 4
WSU overcame five errors in the contest to outlast Minot State in capturing game one, thanks in large part to
Peyton Lee, who threw a complete-game performance. Lee struck out two, allowed four runs - just two of which were earned - and showed poise en route to his first win of the season.
Lee saw support from the Warrior offense to the tune of two triples and three doubles. Winona State was down 2-1 after three innings before scoring runs in each of the final four frames. a Four run sixth inning was the decisive factor in the contest, as back-to-back doubles by
Dane Weiland and
Payton Beyer jump-started the WSU offense.
Steele Beatty added to the Warrior scoring with a triple that plated
Kyle Yu and Beyer and moved the Loughrey Field scoreboard to 8-2 in favor of WSU.
Although Minot State would pull two runs back in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out two-run homer, Lee closed the door on the inning, and the game, retiring the Beavers' Shane Kary and Martin Rodriquez in successive at-bats.
Northern State 9, Winona State 8
Winona State continued to cruise in game two early on, scoring three runs in the second inning and five in the fourth to establish an early 8-0 lead. Minot State countered with a six-run outburst in the bottom of the fourth, closing the score to 8-6 and forcing the Warriors into a pitching change.
While Winona State would go scoreless the rest of the way, the Beavers would score two runs in the bottom of the sixth and then tally the decisive run in the bottom of the eighth. In the top of the ninth,
Joshua Hawksford hit a two-out double to rally the Warriors late and advanced to third on a Beaver wild pitch. However, the WSU effort to equalize would fall just short, losing 9-8.
Steele Beatty,
Payton Beyer, and
Carter Brinkman all had two hits each for Winona State; Brinkman tallied three RBI.
Kyle Yu added to his team-leading stolen base total with his tenth swipe of the year. As a team, the Warriors notched five doubles.
Peter Tveite got the start and went five innings, notching a pair of strikeouts while conceding five hits. After brief relief appearances by
Jaden Schwantz and Chander Schmidt,
Drew Lingen took over in the final inning and was tagged with the loss.
Overall, Winona State scored eight runs on 11 hits and committed one error, while Minot State scored nine times on seven hits.
Winona State moves to 10-15 on the year and 6-4 in NSIC play. Minot State finished the day 15-7 overall and 6-4 in league action.
Winona State is set to host St. Cloud State University on Saturday, April 1 and Sunday April 2. First pitch of Saturday's doubleheader is set for 1:30pm.
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.
