WINONA, Minn. – The Warriors offense erupted for 27 runs behind 22 hits and 11 extra base hits en route to a 27-8 win over Northern State.
This game was all Warriors as an eight-run third inning gave WSU a 10-4 lead. Winona State blew the game open with 14 runs in the sixth inning behind 10 hits to end the regular season in style.
WSU (27) – NSU (8)
The Wolves jumped out to an early 2-0 edge in the top of the first inning.
Adam Wall kicked off the scoring onslaught with an RBI double, plating
Dylan Harer, making it 2-1.
Garrett Hietpas later tied the game in the bottom of the first after an RBI fielder's choice.
Solo homers in the second and third innings gave NSU a 4-2 advantage. WSU responded in a big way with an eight-spot in the bottom of the third inning.
Adam Wall blasted a solo homer to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Cal Casper made it 5-4 Warriors after an RBI single while a two-RBI double from
Josh Hatano grew the lead to 7-4. After a bases-load walk from Wall,
Klayton Hawkins plated two more Warriors on a single, ending the inning 10-4 WSU.
NSU gained one back on a solo shot in the top of the fifth inning.
Jack Funke got the run right back with an RBI single, making it 13-5. A two-run long ball from Northern State tightened the game to 13-7 in the top of the sixth.
The bottom of the sixth was an inning to remember as WSU scored 14 runs on 10 hits while sending 20 hitters to the plate.
Connor Weed started the party with a three-run blast to center. After an RBI single from
Easton Arendt, Hawkins launched a no-doubter to right field, growing the WSU advantage to 19-7. Back-to-back bases-loaded walks from Casper and
Peyton Lee put the game at 21-7. Weed cleared the bases with a three-RBI double, giving him six RBIs in the frame.
Joe Fischer plated Weed on a single while
Cayden Mueller capped off the inning with a two-RBI double. Another solo home run from the Wolves in the seventh, finished off the scoring at 27-8.
Weed led WSU with three hits and six RBIs in the dominant win. Hatano added three hits and four RBIs with Hawkins adding four RBIs. Seven Warriors had multiple hits, and six batters tallied multi-RBI games.
Ryan Buchta gathered the start, tossing 3.0 innings, giving up four earned runs. Braydon Deering (1-0) earned the win, going 1.1 innings, allowing one earned run.
Carson Jones and
Jaren Schwantz each saw work in the regular season finale.
Winona State (25-24, 20-16 NSIC) will turn their attention to the NSIC Postseason Tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D., co-hosted by the University of Sioux Falls and Augustana University. The eight-team double elimination tournament will kick off on Wednesday, May 6 and conclude on Saturday, May 9. The Warriors seed and opponent will be named later, as other games wrap up around the NSIC.
