WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The Winona State University baseball team used a big second inning to cruise past West Virginia Wesleyan College in the opening game of their 2023 spring break trip, beating the Bobcats, 11-5.
Dane Weiland went 4-for-5 at the plate and got things started for the Warriors in the second, driving a single to left field. Weiland would end up as one of six Warriors to cross the plate in the top of the second frame as WSU jumped out to a 6-0 advantage early on. Four of the Warrior's six runs came with two outs, as
Ryland Wall,
Derek Baumgartner, and
Mason Trocke all amassed hits. Batting through the order, WSU saw Weiland accumulate his second single of the same inning before WVWC was able to finally retire the side.
Peter Tveite got the start on the mound for Winona State and went six innings overall, racking up seven strikeouts along the way. Tveite scattered eight hits and conceded three runs, two earned.
John Breske,
Nathan Platter, and
Davis Zeutzius all threw one inning each in relief.
Weiland's four-hit performance marks the second time this season that WSU has had a player collect four hits in a game, with
Cooper Kapanke going 4-for-4 in a contest versus Drury University earlier this year.
Against the Bobcats, Winona State had 14 hits overall as a team, with
Ryland Wall adding a triple to the Warrior effort.
Derek Baumgartner and
Kyle Yu both had doubles on the day and
Mason Trocke stole a pair of bases for Winona State.
The Bobcats attempted a rally in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Winona State escaped by allowing just three runs and held WVSC scoreless in the next two frames. Winona State added one run each in the top of the seventh and eighth innings; a pair of Bobcat scores in the bottom of the ninth were not enough to close the gap, leaving Winona State to claim the 11-5 victory.
With the win, Winona State improves to 2-7 on the year. The Warriors are scheduled to take on Davis and Elkins College on Thursday, March 9. First pitch is set for 9 a.m. EST/ 8 a.m. CST.
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
