Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ROLLA, Mo. - The Winona State University baseball team had to endure a 48-hour weather-induced delay to begin their four-game series at Missouri S&T to begin the 2024 Warrior campaign at The Ballpark in Rolla, Missouri.  

When the Miners and Warriors were finally able to open play on Monday, February 19, WSU was dealt a pair of setbacks, losing 11-1 in game one and 6-2 in game two. 

Game 1: Miners 11, Winona State 1

A big opening inning for the home side put Winona State in a four-run hole to open the contest, as the Miners took advantage of a series of batters hit by a pitch combined with a pair of singles to go up 4-0 in the first frame. 

WSU would respond with a run in the second inning when Josh Gullickson singled to right center, scoring Ryland Wall.  Unfortunately for Winona State, the Gullickson RBI was the only offense the Warriors would produce in the opener, as the Miner pitching staff held WSU to just three hits in the contest. 

Winona State used three pitchers in the game, with Cameron Kramer yielding in the first inning to Chandler Schmidt, who threw 2 and 1/3 innings, collecting a pair of strikeouts. Drew Lingen took over for Schmidt in the fourth, allowing four hits, five runs (four earned), and walking three. The trio of WSU pitchers conceded 11 runs, eight hits, and struck out three.  Five Miners were hit by pitches across the seven-inning affair. 

Game 2 : Miners 6, Winona State 2

Winona State opened the scoring in game two, with Alex Berreth knocking home Cole Fuecker in the first, giving WSU a 1-0 lead. The Miners answered in the bottom of the same frame, scoring a pair of runs to move in front 2-1 after one. 

WSU would score again in the second inning, this time with Alex Campbell coming home thanks to Mason Trocke, knotting the game at 2-2. Missouri S&T again countered the Warrior offense with scores in the bottom of the frame, claiming three runs in the bottom of the second, including a tally on a double-steal with runners on the corners. 

Neither team would score again until the bottom of the fifth when the Miners added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly.  Winona State saw singles in the early stages of both the sixth and seventh innings, but the Warriors were unable to spark a rally and climb back into the game.

The Missouri S&T tandem of Ethan Morrow and Elijah Gross scattered 10 Warrior hits across nine innings. WSU suffered six strikeouts in the contest.

Kole Hinrichsen was the Winona State starter, going three full innings, allowing five hits, and conceding five runs, all earned. Peyton Lee handled the middle innings for Winona State on the mound, before giving way to Peter Tveite.  Combined the Warrior staff allowed nine hits, struck out ten, and walked just three. In the batter's box, Jess Ondell, Cole Fuecker, and Alec Campbell all collected doubles in the game for WSU.

Next Up: Winona State (0-2, 0-0 NSIC) will continue the four-game road trip with a doubleheader on Tuesday, February 20 against Missouri S&T.  The Warriors and Miners will see the first pitch at noon in Rolla, Mo.