Game 1 - Wayne State 6 Minn. Crookston 0

Game 2 - Wayne State 7 Minn. Crookston 6

            Junior Eric Browning fired a three-hit shutout in the opener while the Wildcats needed a four-run ninth in the second game to sweep Minnesota Crookston 6-0 and 7-6 in Northern Sun Conference baseball Saturday afternoon at the UMC Baseball Field in Crookston, Minnesota.  WSC snapped an eight-game losing skid with the wins, improving to 14-16 and 9-9 in the NSIC while the host Golden Eagles are now 8-26 overall and 2-16 in league play.
            The story of the first game was the pitching by Browning, who struck out eight and walked three while throwing his first shutout and first complete game of the season to improve to 2-4 on the season.
            Offensively, WSC had 10 hits in the contest by all nine starters had at least one hit in the win.  Sophomore Quinn McGill was 2 for 4 with a pair of singles and one run scored.  Kevin Andersen hit a solo homer while Nate Ackerman, John Roberts, Tanner Simons and Zak Leighton each recorded doubles.
            The second game saw WSC score four runs in the top of the ninth, then hold off a UMC rally in the bottom of the ninth, to hang on for a 7-6 win.
            The Wildcats trailed 5-3 entering the top of the ninth, but WSC scored four runs on just one hit, two UMC errors and two walks to take a 7-5 lead.  The lone hit of the inning was a Tanner Simons singled that scored Quinn McGill to give the 'Cats a 7-5 advantage.
            But UMC put together a two-out rally and used back-to-back singles to pull within one at 7-6 with the tying run on third base.  Junior reliever Connor Keating came in and struck out the final batter of the game to notch the save and preserve the 7-6 victory.
            Wayne State had 10 hits to nine for UMC in the second game.  Junior first baseman Albert Johnson was 3 for 4 with a double and two RBI.  Designated hitter John Roberts was 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored while Simons finished 2 for 5 with two RBI.  Curtis Bussard tripled while Chris May and Alex Kreft each singled.
            Sophomore lefthander Kyle Kennebeck (3-2) pitched three innings of relief to get the win, charged with three hits and two runs to go with four strikeouts.  Connor Keating recorded the final out in the ninth inning on a strikeout to notch his first save of the season.
            Wayne State and Minnesota Crookston will wrap up the four-game NSIC series on Sunday in Crookston, Minnesota starting at 1 p.m.