Game 1 - #25 Minnesota State 11 Wayne State 4
Game 2 - Wayne State 9 #25 Minnesota State 8
Wayne State split a Northern Sun Conference baseball doubleheader at 25th-ranked Minnesota State Sunday afternoon in Mankato, Minnesota. The host Mavericks used a five-run seventh inning to pull away for an 11-4 win over the Wildcats in the opener, but WSC came back in the second game and held off a seventh inning Maverick rally to earn a split with a 9-8 win. WSC is now 21-18 overall and 16-7 in the NSIC with Minnesota State sporting records of 29-11 overall and 18-6 in league play following the split.
In the first game, WSC got off to a quick start with a three run first inning. Joe Wendte led off the game with a single and Justin Beranek walked. Both players scored on John Plasha's double to left field to put WSC in front 2-0. Mike Bisenius walked and later scored on a passed ball to give the 'Cats a 3-0 advantage. The score remained the same until the bottom of the fifth inning when Minnesota State scored two runs followed by two more in the sixth to take a 4-3 lead.
Wayne State tied the score in the top of the seventh as Wendte walked, advanced to second on a single by Beranek and later scored on Nick Bidroski's RBI single to even the score at 4-4. But Minnesota State erupted for five runs in the seventh inning to take a 9-4 lead and added two runs in the eighth to post an 11-4 win.
Minnesota State had 13 hits in the game to seven for Wayne State. Wendte finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored. Plasha and Bisenius each doubled while Beranek, Bidroski and Ritzdorf each singled for WSC. Starter Tom Doran worked the first 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Reliever Sam Rathbun (1-1) was tagged with the pitching loss, allowing five runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings pitched. Reid Lancaster finished the game working the final inning, allowing two runs on two hits.
The second game saw eight of nine starters record at least one hit as WSC built a 9-5 lead, but the Wildcats had to hold off a seventh inning rally by Minnesota State for a 9-8 win over the 25th-ranked Mavericks.
WSC opened the scoring in the first inning when Justin Beranek and Nick Bidroski hit back-to-back doubles scoring Beranek to give the 'Cats a 1-0 lead. Minnesota State scored single runs in the first and second innings to take a 2-1 lead, but WSC tied the score in the third when Joe Wendte singled and later scored on a balk. The 'Cats scored three runs in the top of the fourth after there were two outs and no one on to take a 5-2 lead. Jake Ritzdorf singled followed by a Josh Nielsen double that put runners at second and third. Brandon Polk's single to right center scored Ritzdorf while a fielding error by Minnesota State center fielder Mike Eckhardt scored Nielsen to give WSC a 4-2 lead. Wendte then doubled down the right field line scoring Polk to make the score 5-2.
Minnesota State scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to cut the WSC lead to 5-4, but the Wildcats added three more runs in the fifth to take an 8-4 lead. Nick Bidroski reached on an error to start the inning and later scored on a wild pitch for the first run of the inning. John Plasha walked and Jake Ritzdorf was hit by a pitch and both scored on Josh Nielsen's two-run, two-out double to left center field giving WSC an 8-4 lead. Minnesota State scored once in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 8-5, then WSC added a run in the top of the sixth with another two out rally as Nick Bidroski and Jarett Jackson singled followed by a Mike Bisenius single to center field that scored Bidroski giving WSC a 9-5 advantage.
Minnesota State made things interesting in the seventh inning as the Mavericks pulled within one run at 9-8 when Patrick Dockendorf hit a pinch-hit two run homer off WSC reliever Trevor Reeves in the bottom of the seventh, but Reeves then got Matt Odegaard to ground out to second base to end the game as WSC hung on for the 9-8 win.
Both teams had 11 hits in the game. Nick Bidroski was 2 for 4 with two runs scored, extending his hitting streak to 19 games in the win. Joe Wendte and Josh Nielsen each added two hits, including a double for WSC.
Eric Dye (2-1) worked four innings to earn the win, allowing five runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Reliever Trevor Reeves worked the final three innings, giving up two hits and three runs with four strikeouts and two walks.
Wayne State will face Minnesota State in another doubleheader on Monday at noon to close out the four-game Northern Sun Conference series in Mankato, Minnesota.
