Game 1 - Wayne State 3 Southwest Minn. State 2

Game 2 - Wayne State 6 Southwest Minn. State 3 

            Junior reliever Jerad Barth earned one win and one save with 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief Monday afternoon to lead the Wayne State baseball team in a 3-2 and 6-3 Northern Sun Conference baseball sweep at Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall, Minnesota.  With the wins, the Wildcats take the four-game series 3-1 and improve to 25-13 overall and 16-8 in the NSIC while the host Mustangs fall to 21-16 and 11-11 in league play.
            The Wildcats made the most of their five hits and scored the game-winning run in the top of the seventh inning to record a 3-2 win in the opener.  After SMSU took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, WSC scored twice in the top of the fourth for a 2-1 lead.  Jake Ritzdorf led off the inning with his third homer of the season to tie the score with the other run coming in when C.J. Nolen singled and later scored on a Brett Keim sacrifice fly.
            The host Mustangs scored in the bottom of the fourth to tie the score at 2-2, but WSC came up with the game's biggest run in the top of the seventh for the 3-2 win.  Sophomore catcher Luke Abkes led off the inning with a single.  Pinch runner Mike Servais then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and then scored when Justin Beranek reached on a SMSU fielding error for the eventual game-winning run.  The host Mustangs put the tying run on third base in the bottom of the seventh, but Wildcat reliever Jerad Barth struck out SMSU's Ben Korger to end the game sealing the 3-2 win.
            WSC had just five hits in the game with Ritzdorf going 2 for 3 with a homer and run scored.  Travis Parsons, Nolen and Abkes each singled.  Barth (2-3) picked up the win with two innings of solid relief, striking out three batters while giving up two hits.  Starter Nick Ragan worked the first five innings and was charged with two runs on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk.
            The second game saw the Wildcats rally from a 3-0 deficit scoring six runs in the sixth and seventh innings while four different WSC pitchers held SMSU to five hits in a 6-3 come-from-behind win.
            Trailing 3-0 entering the sixth inning, WSC plated four runs to take a 4-3 lead.  Brett Keim led off the inning with a double and scored on a Travis Parsons single.  Parsons later scored on a C.J. Nolen RBI groundout to make the score 3-2.  Mike Bisenius and Michael Herman both drew walks and scored on a Justin Beranek single to put the 'Cats ahead 4-3.              WSC added two more runs in the seventh for a 6-3 lead as Parsons and Bisenius walked with both crossing home plate on a Jake Ritzdorf two-run single to increase the Wildcat advantage. SMSU threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning, loading the bases with two outs on Wildcat reliever Taylor MacDonell.  However, Jerad Barth came into the game and struck out Tyler Flattum to get out of the jam to preserve the 6-3 lead.
            The Wildcats had nine hits in the game.  Parsons was 2 for 3 with two runs scored to lead a balanced attack.  Ritzdorf finished 2 for 4 with two RBI's while Michael Herman added two hits in the win.  Brett Keim doubled while Braulio Acosta and Justin Beranek each singled.
            Barth notched his third save of the season in sealing the 6-3 win, working the final 1 1/3 innings allowing one hit with two strikeouts.  Taylor Simmonds (1-0) was credited with the win relieving starter Mike Frericks, who worked the first four innings and allowed three runs on three hits.  Simmonds pitched one inning and gave up one hit with one walk and one strikeout while Taylor MacDonell worked 2 2/3 innings and yielded just one hit with one strikeout and one walk. 
            Wayne State will be on the road again Wednesday afternoon visiting Winona State in a Northern Sun Conference doubleheader starting at 1:30 p.m.