Game 1 - Winona State 5 Wayne State 3Game 2 - Winona State 5 Wayne State 4 Winona State used a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning in the opener and a three-run blast in the bottom of the ninth in the second game to hand Wayne State heart-breaking 5-3 and 5-4 losses Wednesday afternoon in Northern Sun Conference baseball played at Loughrey Field in Winona, Minnesota. Winona State is 13-15 and 11-5 in the NSIC while WSC has dropped eight straight games, falling to 12-16 and 7-9 in league play.
In the first game, Winona State held a 1-0 lead entering the top of the fourth until Wildcat junior leftfielder Nate Ackerman connected for his 10
th home run of the season, a two-run shot over the center field wall that gave WSC a 2-1 lead.
With the score tied at 2-2 in the fifth, WSC regained the lead Ackerman singled and scored on a
Quinn McGill RBI double for a 3-2 Wildcat lead.
But Winona State got a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the sixth from Nathan Krause to give the Warriors a 5-3 win.
Winona State had six hits to five for the Wildcats. Ackerman finished 2 for 3 with a homer, double, two RBI's and two runs scored. McGill was 2 for 3 with an RBI and double while
Curtis Bussard singled.
Sophomore reliever
Kyle Kennebeck (2-2) suffered the pitching loss replacing starter
John Roberts. Kennebeck allowed two runs on one hit in 1/3 innings. Roberts pitched the first five innings and gave up two unearned run on three hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
The second game saw the host Warriors score five runs in the bottom of the ninth for a shocking 5-4 win to complete the sweep.
WSC scored three runs in the first inning, highlighted by RBI singles from
John Roberts and
Albert Johnson, for a 3-0 lead.
The 'Cats grabbed a 4-0 lead in the sixth when Ackerman doubled and scored on a single from Roberts.
But Winona State took advantage of a two-out Wildcat error and scored five unearned runs, capped by a three-run walk off homer off Wildcat reliever
Eric Browning, to record the stunning 5-4 win.
Winona State held a 14-5 advantage in hits over the Wildcats. Roberts was 2 for 4 with two RBI. Ackerman doubled while McGill and Johnson each singled.
Starter
Nick Ragan pitched 8 2/3 innings, giving up 13 hits and four runs (all unearned) with two strikeouts. Browning faced one batter and was charged with the loss, dropping to 1-4 on the season, after allowing the walk off homer.
The Wildcats will be on the road this weekend, visiting Minnesota Crookston in a four-game NSIC series with doubleheaders
