WINONA, Minn. - A walkoff RBI single by Brock Goeltz led the Winona State University baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Bemidji State on Saturday, March 23, wrapping up a four-game series between the two teams.
Competing in the cozy confines of Loughrey Field, Winona State saw a multitude of players contribute offensively in WSU's game one win. Brock Goeltz delivered a clutch base hit that drove in
Cole Fuecker from second base to earn the 5-4 win on the front half of the twin bill. Game two saw Winona State pull ahead early and maintain a torrid scoring pace throughout the contest for a 19-5 victory in the nightcap.
Game 1: Winona State 5, Bemidji State 4 | After a one-hour delay due to weather, the bout between Winona State and Bemidji State saw an evenly matched game to start the afternoon. The Beavers got on the board first with a run resulting from BSU's Hunter Damond whose fielder's choice scored Beaver teammate Matt Fillippi. Winona State would answer back in the bottom of the first, with the Warriors also using a fielders choice RBI when
Alex Berreth plated
Kyle Yu who had tripled to leadoff the inning for head coach
Seth Wing and his team.
WSU and BSU would trade runs back and fourth throughout the early innings, with the Beavers opening a slight two-run advantage at 4-2 going into the bottom of the seventh inning.
However, in the bottom of the seventh, the Warriors would tie the game off of a timely Josh Hawksford single to left field, scoring Warrior teammates
Jess Ondell and
Kyle Yu. With the score knotted at 4-4, Goeltz stepped up to the plate and delivered, knocking a single to left field and scoring teammate
Cole Fuecker to end the game 5-4.
On the mound,
Peyton Lee would come in in relief to earn the win, pitching four impressive innings. Lee retired all twelve batters he faced in order over his four innings of work, collecting three strikeouts while holding BSU scoreless.
Pierce Gritzmaker had the start for Winona State, going two and 1/3 innings before yielding to Boyd Skelly with one out in the third.
Game 2: Winona State 19, Bemidji State 5 | WSU starting pitcher
Cameron Kramer got off to a strong start on the Warrior mound and earned the win for Winona State, with Kramer enjoying strong run support in the first five innings as WSU jumped out to an early lead and never let up in game two against Bemidji State University.
In the first inning, the Warriors started off strong with
Jess Ondell delivering a solo home run to open the scoring against the Beavers. Following Ondell's homer, the junior from Holmen, Wis. would continue his red hot game with a single in the second scoring his Warrior teammate Brock Goeltz. Other Winona State players earning runs in the first three innings included Josh Hawksford,
Max Pederson,
Ben Hefel, and
Connor Weed. At the end of the third frame, WSU was up 7-0 and well on the way to victory.
Starting off the fourth inning the Warriors picked up where they left off earning six more runs by Warriors
Alex Berreth,
Jack Funke and two runs by
Cole Fuecker.
After three runs by Bemidji State in the top of the sixth the score would be 5-13. The Warriors would earn six runs coming from
Connor Weed,
Jess Ondell,
Cole Fuecker,
Jack Funke, Josh Hawksford and
Austin Beyer. Closing the game out behind the mound was
Owen Schmidt earning two strikouts in the seventh inning to end the contest 19-5
Winona State (9-13, 6-6 NSIC) is schedule to travel to the University of Mary (10-9, 6-4 NSIC) in a four game series starting on Thursday, March 28, with a noon start and finishing up on Saturday, March 30 in a doubleheader starting at noon. Fans, families and followers of Winona State baseball are encourage to monitor WSU social media for updates to the games next week.
