Game 1 - Wayne State 5 Southwest Minnesota State 2

Game 2 - Wayne State 9 Southwest Minnesota State 8

            The Wayne State College baseball team will take momentum of a four-game sweep into the NSIC Tournament next week in Sioux Falls after completing a four-game sweep of the Mustangs Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field in Marshall, Minnesota with 5-2 and 9-8 wins.  WSC is now 27-22 overall and 22-14 in league play while SMSU finishes the season at 21-29 and 14-20 in the NSIC.
            The first game saw three Wildcat pitchers combine to strike out 10 Mustangs while junior outfielder Curtis Bussard doubled and tripled to lead the Wildcats in a 5-2 win.
            WSC opened the scoring in the first when Bussard led off with a triple to right center field and scored on a wild pitched for a 1-0 Wildcat lead.
            The 'Cats added three runs in the third for a 4-0 advantage.  Senior John Roberts produced a two-run double that scored Quinn McGill (fielder's choice) and Nathan Ackerman (walk).  Roberts later scored on a Michael Herman single to account for Wayne State's three-run inning.
            After SMSU scored twice in the bottom of the third to get within 4-2, the Wildcats added an insurance run in the top of the seventh as Kevin Andersen singled and scored on a Bussard double to left field making the final score 5-2.
            WSC had nine hits in the win to just six for SMSU.  Bussard paced the 'Cats at the plate going 2 for 4 with a double, triple, RBI and run scored.  Herman went 2 for 3 with a pair of singles and one RBI.  Zak Leighton tripled while John Roberts added a two-run double to highlight Wayne State's hitting attack.
            Starter Matt Schulz worked the first three innings and was charged with two runs on four hits with five strikeouts and three walks.  Senior reliever Ryan Zweck (1-2) picked up the win, working the fourth inning and striking out two while giving up two hits.  Senior Nick Ragan then shut the door on the Mustangs, working three perfect innings of relief while striking out three without giving up a hit to earn his second save of the season.
            The second game saw WSC rally from a 3-0 deficit after three innings, then hang on in a crazy finish over the final three innings, as the Wildcats completed the sweep with a wild 9-8 victory.         
            Trailing 3-0 after three innings, WSC used a three-run fourth to knot the score at 3 as Albert Johnson had an RBI single to score John Roberts (double) with the first run while junior catcher Alex Kreft followed with a two-run double down the right field line that scored Johnson and Aaron Krier (single).
            WSC took the lead for good in the sixth at 4-3 when Johnson doubled and scored on a single by Krier.  The 'Cats added three more runs in the top of the seventh for a 7-3 cushion.  Bussard tripled and scored on a Chris May double for the first run.  May scored when Ackerman doubled down the right field line while Herman delivered a sacrifice fly that scored Ackerman with the final run.
            SMSU came right back and scored three runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth to take an 8-7 lead.
            But WSC mounted a rally in the top of the ninth and scored two runs to seal the four-game sweep.  Herman singled to open the inning followed by another single from Albert Johnson.  Aaron Krier singled down the right field line to load the bases.  After pinch hitter Quinn McGill struck out for the second out, senior shortstop Zak Leighton came through with a double to left center field that scored pinch runner Brandon Fowler and Johnson with the winning runs.
            Bussard then came on in the ninth and preserved the win, allowing one hit with one strikeout, to complete the sweep.
            WSC had 17 hits in the win.  Johnson finished 4 for 5 with a double and three runs scored.  Aaron Krier was 3 for 5 while Bussard, Chris May and John Roberts each added two hits for the Wildcats.
            Senior reliever Mike Frericks, the fifth of six WSC pitchers, recorded the win improving to 4-2.  Dalton Smith, Tegan Nissen and Spencer Morris each worked two innings for the Wildcats.  Bussard recorded his fifth save of the season by working the ninth inning allowing WSC to hang on for the win.
            Wayne State (27-22, 22-14 NSIC) has earned the fifth seed for next week's NSIC / US Bank Baseball Tournament in Sioux Falls and will face #4 seed Minnesota Duluth (32-14, 26-10 NSIC) in a first-round game on Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Sioux Falls Stadium.  The two teams did not face each other in the regular season.