SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Winona State baseball team split today's doubleheader against Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) opponent, the University of Mary.
In the bottom of the seventh inning of the first contest, with the bases loaded,
Joshua Hawksford remained patient at the plate and watched four straight balls miss the zone to give the Warriors a 3-2 victory over the Marauders. With the score tied at two going into the top of the eighth inning in the second contest, Bryce Leafgren hit a double to give UMary a 4-2 lead. With WSU unable to answer back in their next two at-bats, the Marauders received the victory.
Game 1 | WSU 3, UMary 2:
In the first contest, each team held one another scoreless through four and a half innings, until the Warriors scored the first runs with
Easton Arendt crossing home plate and
Cole Fuecker scoring off a wild pitch. Winona State's defense, led by
Boyd Skelley on the mound, held the Marauders scoreless through two more innings. In the top of the seventh, UMary tied up the score at two with a ground-out RBI from Kalem Haney and Kieran Gaffney grounding into a fielder's choice, allowing Hank Griffin to cross home plate. With their final at-bats of the contest coming in the bottom of the seventh inning and the bases loaded, WSU's Hawksford watched four straight balls miss the strike zone granting him a walk and allowing
Josh Gullickson to come across home plate, giving the Warriors a 3-2 victory over the Marauders.
Game 2 | WSU 2, UMary 4:
UMary scored the first run of the second contest with a passed ball allowing Haney to score. In the bottom of the second inning, Winona State answered back by scoring two runs with a double to left field by
Ben Hefel allowing
Josh Hatano and
Dylan Harer to score from first and third. With a single from Marcus Butts in the top of the seventh inning, the Marauders tied it up at two runs apiece, and in the top of the eighth inning, they took a two-run lead with a double to left field from Leafgren. WSU could not answer back in their final at-bats of the contest, ultimately giving UMary a 4-2 victory.
Individual Leaders:
- In game one, Gullickson led the Warriors in batting average with 1.000. Arendt and Gullickson led Winona State in total bases with two. Arendt, Fuecker, and Berreth led WSU in quality at-bats, each with two. Boyd Skelley led the Warriors on the mound, pitching 5.2 innings and recording four strikeouts.
- In game two, Hatano led Winona State in batting average with 1.000. Hefel, Fuecker, Adam Wall, and Harer led WSU in total bases, each with two. Wall, Berreth, Harer, and Gullickson led the Warriors in quality at-bats, each with three. Wesley Johnson led Winona State on the mound, pitching 6.2 innings and recording seven strikeouts.
Team Comparison:
- The Warriors collected a total of 69 plate appearances, 10 hits, three RBIs, and five runs.
- The Marauders collected a total of 72 plate appearances, 13 hits, five RBIs, and six runs.
- Winona State as a team batted .125 in game one and .333 in game two.
- UMary as a team batted .182 in game one and .321 in game two.
Winona State is next in action on Tuesday, March 25th, when they face off against non-conference opponent Mount Mercy University in a mid-week doubleheader. The contests are set for 1:00pm and 4:00pm in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
