Game 1 - Northern State 9 Wayne State 1

Game 2 - Wayne State 7 Northern State 5

            Wayne State salvaged a split with Northern State Saturday evening in Northern Sun Conference baseball played at Fossum Field in Aberdeen, South Dakota.  The host Wolves rolled in the opener 9-1 with WSC rallying from an early 4-0 deficit in the second game to win 7-5.  The Wildcats are now 21-19 and 16-12 in the NSIC while NSU is 17-21 and 10-16 in league play.
            The opener saw Northern State score five runs in the first inning and WSC was held to just three hits in a 9-1 loss to the Wolves.
            NSU scored five in the first, one in the third and three more in the sixth while the Wildcats lone run was scored in the fifth inning on a Jackson Petersen single that scored Bodie Cooper (walk).
            Petersen, Tandon Dorn and Tanner Simons each singled for the three Wildcat hits in the contest.
            Senior starter Bobby St.  Pierre (4-4) suffered the pitching loss, charged with nine runs on 10 hits over six innings of work with five strikeouts and three walks.
            The second game saw Wayne State rally from a 4-0 deficit after four innings, then hold off a bases loaded threat by the Wolves in the ninth inning to hang on for a 7-5 win.
            Northern State scored twice in the first and second innings for a 4-0 lead.  WSC got on the board with two runs in the fifth on a Jackson Petersen two-run homer to trim the Wolves lead to 4-2. 
            After NSU scored in the bottom of the fifth for a 5-2 lead, the "Cats came up with two more runs in the sixth to make the score 5-4.  WSC had just one hit in the inning, a Kyle Thompson single, but took advantage of three NSU errors to score the two runs.
            WSC took the lead for good in the seventh with three runs.  David Janes had an RBI single with Peyton Barnes producing the go-ahead two-run single that gave the Wildcats a 7-5 lead.
            The 'Cats held the lead the rest of the way although Northern State posted a threat to tie or win the game in the bottom of the ninth as the Wolves used two singles and a walk to load the bases, but WSC reliever Kyle Kennebeck got out of the bases loaded jam with a strikeout to end the game.
            WSC had 11 hits in the win to nine for NSU.  Janes was a perfect 3 for 3 while Petersen finished 2 for 3 with a homer and three RBI.  Cody Jenkins was 2 for 4 and scored two runs.
            Senior reliever Keenan Breen (6-0) recorded the pitching win, working 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief with one walk and one strikeout.  Starter Hunter Wienhoff pitched 5 1/3 innings and was charged with six hits and five runs with five strikeouts and two walks.  Kennebeck came on in the ninth and posted his fifth save of the year, allowing two hits and one walk with two strikeouts.
            Wayne State and Northern State conclude the four-game NSIC series with a doubleheader Sunday at 12 p.m. in Aberdeen, South Dakota.