SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Winona State University baseball team fell short in both contests of doubleheader against Augustana University.
In the bottom of the eighth inning of the first contest, the Warriors' needed to hold the Vikings' scoreless to extend the contest to nine innings. Unable to do so, Augustana received the 13-3 victory after Ragan Pinnow scored off a passed ball and Troy Berg hit a home run over the left field wall. With the score tied at 12 runs a piece in the second contest, Berg hit a game-winning single giving the Vikings the 13-12 win.
Game 1 | WSU 3, AUGIE 13
Alex Berreth got Winona State on the board first with a single down the right field line allowing
Cole Fuecker and
Garrett Hietpas to cross home plate. Answering back in the bottom of the second inning, Ryan Clementi tied it up at two runs a piece with a single. Taking the lead in the bottom of the third, Augustana recorded six runs with singles from Clementi, Joshua Koskie, Trevor Winterstein, and Jack Hines, and a double from Carter Heinsch. With Augustana adding two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and three more in the bottom of the eighth inning,
Jess Ondell scoring off a wild pitch for the Warriors in the top of the seventh proved to not be enough. The Vikings in turn took game one 13-3.
Game 2 | WSU 12, AUGIE 13
Berg and Sam Siegel got Augustana on the board first with an error and a single. Answering back in the top of the second inning, Winona State tied the game at two runs a piece with a double from
Ethan Patterson allowing
Kyle Yu and
Ryland Wall to score. Taking the lead in the bottom of the fourth, the Vikings scored from a two-run home run by Kobe Eikmeier. After a dominating fifth inning, the Warriors crossed home plate 10 times taking an eight-run lead with singles from
Josh Gullickson, Patterson, and
Easton Arendt, a pair of two three-run home runs by R. Wall and
Dylan Harer, and a double from
Jack Funke. Augustana clawed away at the scoring deficit in the bottom of the sixth recording five runs from a walk with the bases loaded, Berg being hit by a pitch allowing Eikmeier to cross home plate, a single from Pinnow, and Berg scoring from third off a fielder's choice play at second base. Tying it up in the bottom of the seventh, the Vikings recorded three more runs with a ground-out RBI from Winterstein and a two-run home run from Heinsch. In the final at-bats of the contest, Augustana won with a single from Berg giving them the 13-12 victory over Winona State.
Individual Leaders:
- In game one, Fuecker, Berreth, Adam Wall, R. Wall, and Ben Hefel led the Warriors in hits each with one. Berreth led the team in RBIs with two. Wesley Johnson led Winona State on the mound, pitching 2.2 innings and recording three strikeouts.
- In game two, Arendt, Fuecker, Harer, Gullickson, R. Wall, and Patterson led the Warriors in hits each with two. Harer, R. Wall, and Patterson led the team in RBIs each with three. Boyd Skelley and Peyton Lee led the Winona State on the mound, pitching for a combined 4.0 innings and recording a total of five strikeouts.
Team Comparison:
- Winona State collected a total of 65 at-bats, 18 hits, 14 RBIs, and 15 runs.
- Augustana collected a total of 80 at-bats, 37 hits, 23 RBIs, and 26 runs.
- The Warriors as a team recorded a batting average of .389 on balls in play in game one and .423 in game two.
- The Vikings as a team recorded a batting average of .625 on balls in play in game one and .483 in game two.
Winona State University is next in action on Tuesday, April 15th, when they face off in a doubleheader against NSIC opponent, Concordia University, St. Paul. The two contests are set for 1:30pm and 3:30pm at Barnes Field in St. Paul, Minn.
