Game 1 - Wayne State 7 Augustana 6 8 inn.
Game 2 - Augustana 5 Wayne State 2
Jake Ritzdorf's single to left center field scored Justin Beranek with the game-winning run to help Wayne State edge Augustana College 7-6 in 8 innings in the opening game of a Northern Sun Conference baseball doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at the Pete Chapman Baseball Complex. The Vikings came back to win the nightcap 5-2 to salvage a split of the doubleheader while snapping a nine-game losing streak against the Wildcats. Wayne State is now 10-10 overall and 3-3 in the NSIC while Augustana College is 15-9 on the season and 7-1 in league play.
Wayne State jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning in the opener as the Wildcats used six hits and two Viking errors to grab the early lead. Justin Beranek and Jake Ritzdorf each produced two-run singles in the inning for key hits in the inning. Wildcat starter Austen Wisroth was cruising for Wayne State and had a no-hitter through four innings, but Augustana chased the Wildcat starter in the fifth inning by erupting for five runs on seven hits to tie the score at 5-5.
The score remained tied until Augustana took their first lead in the top of the seventh inning at 6-5 as Deryk Marks doubled and scored on Charlie Dubanoski's double to center field with one out in the seventh. WSC was able to tie the score in the bottom of the seventh as pinch hitter CJ Nolen walked with one out. Luke Farrar came in to pinch run for Nolen and after Braulio Acosta struck out for the second out of the inning, Pat Burkhart singled to center field sending Farrar to third. Junior rightfielder Mike Bisenius then reached on an error by Augustana shortstop Brendan Jasper that scored Farrar to make the score 6-6 sending the game into extra innings.
In the bottom of the eighth inning against Augustana closer Bret Severtson, Nick Bidroski led off the inning with a single but was then retired at second on a fielder's choice by Justin Beranek. Beranek then stole second base and with two outs scored on Ritzdorf's single to left center field to win the game 7-6.
Both teams had 11 hits in the game. Ritdorf finished 2 for 4 with three RBI's to lead a balanced Wildcat attack at the plate. Patrick Burkhart, Mike Bisenius and Nick Bidroski each recorded two hits while Travis Parsons, Beranek and Taylor Welk also had hits for WSC.
Jerad Barth (1-0) earned the win on the mound in relief of starter Austen Wisroth. Wisroth worked the first 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Barth pitched final 3 1/3 innings and yielded just one run on six hits with three strikeouts.
The second game saw Augustana score four runs in the first inning to support starting pitcher Tyson Gau who fired a complete game while striking out eight Wildcat batters as the Vikings snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Wildcats with a 5-2 win in the nightcap.
Augustana scored four runs on four hits in the first inning off WSC starter Josh Nelsen to take the early lead. The Vikings added a solo run in the second for a 5-0 advantage. The Wildcats were held to just one hit in the first five innings by Gau, a second inning double by Travis Parsons. WSC scored their first run in the sixth inning as Mike Bisenius doubled with two outs and scored on a Parsons single up the middle to make the score 5-1. The Wildcats scored again in the seventh and got the tying run to plate before falling to Vikings. Justin Beranek was hit by the pitch and advanced to second on a bunt single by Jake Ritzdorf. Luke Farrar's single up the middle scored Beranek with two outs, but pinch hitter CJ Nolen flied to leftfield to end the game as Augustana salvaged a split with the 5-2 win.
The Vikings had eight hits to five for WSC in the second game. Travis Parsons was 2 for 2 with an RBI to lead the Wildcats at the plate Bisenius doubled and scored while Ritzdorf and Farrar added singles for WSC.
Josh Nelsen (0-2) was tagged with the loss, allowing five runs on five hits in two innings of work. Freshman lefthander Taylor Simmonds worked the next two innings, giving up just one hit with one walk and one strikeout. Senior Matt Meier pitched two solid innings of relief, striking out four while allowing just one hit and one walk while sophomore Tyler Hohenstein pitched the seventh inning and gave up one hit with one strikeout.
Wayne State is scheduled to be on the road this weekend traveling to Bismarck, North Dakota for a four-game Northern Sun Conference series at the University of Mary with doubleheaders scheduled for noon Saturday and Sunday.
