Taylor Gill's walk-off RBI single through the right side with one out in the bottom of the 10^th scored Cam Madsen with the game-winning run as Wayne State College won a wild 9-8, 10-inning contest over Minnesota Duluth in the opening round of the 2025 Northern Sun Conference Baseball Tournament Wednesday evening at Ronken Field in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  The win improves WSC to 30-20 on the season, giving the 'Cats their first 30-win season since 2012 (32-18) and sends Wayne State into Thursday's winner's bracket semi-final at 3:30 p.m. against Augustana, who edged Minnesota Crookston 4-2 Wednesday night.
            The Bulldogs opened the scoring with one run in the top of the first, but WSC quickly answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning as leadoff batter Cam Madsen singled through the left side followed by a two-run homer from senior Chase Douglas over the left field fence putting the 'Cats in front 2-1.
            The score remained 2-1 until the top of the fifth when Minnesota Duluth strung together three straight singles with two outs and a runner on first to give the Bulldogs a 3-2 advantage.
            Wayne State retaliated in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out, two-run rally to regain the lead at 4-3.  Junior Braden Cannon reached on an infield single to third with two outs and the bases empty and on the next pitch senior first baseman Kaden Young belted a ball over the right center field fence to give the 'Cats the lead back.
            The Wildcats added three more runs in the seventh to take a 7-3 lead.  Douglas opened the frame with a single, stole second and scored on Taylor Gill's RBI single up the middle for the first run.  Senior shortstop Quinn McCafferty then doubled to right center field scoring Gill and McCafferty crossed home plate on a Brayden Chaney double giving Wayne State momentum in the game and a four-run advantage.
            Minnesota Duluth wasted little time responding and came up with four runs in the top of the eighth inning to even the score at 7-7.  UMD had four straight hits highlighted by an RBI double and three-run homer to quickly tie the game with just one out in the eighth inning. 
            Reliever Braden Cannon came on in place of senior reliever Josh Kilzer and notched a pair of strikeouts to get out of the inning.
            After the Wildcats were retired in order in the bottom of the eighth to keep the game tied 7-7, Minnesota Duluth used a one-out Wildcat error followed by an RBI double with two outs to grab an 8-7 lead on WSC.
            Wayne State was able to capitalize on a Bulldog error with two outs and no runners aboard in the bottom of the ninth along with some crafty base running from Chaney to tie the game and send it into extra innings.
            Chaney reached on a UMD throwing error from shortstop and advanced to second on the throw.  He then stole third and on a 3-2 pitch to Braden Cannon stole home with Cannon reaching on a walk.  The unearned run sent the contest into extra innings. 
            Cannon, working his longest outing of the season in his 17^th appearance of the season, retired UMD in order in the top of the 10^th for the 'Cats.
            In the bottom of the 10^th, Cam Madsen laced a one-out double down the left field line to put the game-winning run aboard.  Douglas was intentionally walked and on a 1-2 pitch Nate Cunningham was hit by the pitch to load the bases, setting the stage for Gill who singled through the right side on a 0-1 pitch for the walk-off win scoring Madsen for the wild 9-8, 10-inning victory by Wayne State. 
            Wayne State had 17 hits in the win, led by Douglas going 4 for 5 with a two-run homer and two runs scored.  Cannon was 3 for 3 with a run scored while Madsen finished 3 for 6 with a double and two runs scored.  McCafferty added two doubles while Gill had a pair of hits and two RBI including the game-winner in the 10^th.
            Starter Clay Beaumont worked the first five innings for the 'Cats, allowing three runs on seven hits with one strikeout.  Kilzer pitched the next 2 1/3 innings, charged with four runs on six hits.  Cannon finished the remaining 2 2/3 innings for the win in his longest outing of the season, now 2-1.  He fanned five batters while yielding two hits and an unearned run.