Box Score 1 | Box Score 2             Wayne State College and St. Cloud State split a doubleheader to open Northern Sun Conference baseball play Friday afternoon at Warren Turner Field in Joplin, Missouri.  The Wildcats won the opener 8-6 but St. Cloud State stunned the Wildcats with a five-run bottom of the ninth inning in the second game to post a dramatic 8-7 win and gain a split of the doubleheader.  WSC is now 5-4 and 1-1 in the league while SCSU is 2-3 and 1-1 in NSIC play.
            The opener saw the Wildcats erase an early 3-0 deficit as freshman starter Tyler Albert improved to 3-0 on the season with an 8-6 win.
            The Huskies scored two in the first and one more in the second for an early 3-0 lead.
            WSC got two runs back in the third as centerfielder Easton Mains reached on an error and scored on Brayden Chaney's two-run homer to left field making the score 3-2.
            After St. Cloud State scored again in the bottom of the third for a 4-2 lead, the 'Cats scored four unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth to grab 6-4 advantage.  Nate Cunningham had a leadoff double in the fourth and scored on a groundout by Braden Cannon. 
            In the fifth inning, WSC took advantage of two SCSU errors to score three runs as Mains singled and scored on the first Husky error.  Chaney singled and later scored on a Husky throwing error after stealing third for the second run while Max Heard closed the scoring in the fifth with a solo homer to right field.
            St. Cloud State cut the WSC lead to 6-5 with one run in the sixth.  The 'Cats then scored two runs in the seventh for an 8-5 lead as Gabe Monosmith delivered an RBI single bringing home Paul Schuyler (single) while Heard walked and later scored on a SCSU error.
            The Huskies tried to rally in the seventh and started with a solo homer to make the score 8-6.  After SCSU put the tying run at the plate with one out, WSC brought in senior closer Braden Cannon who got the Huskies to hit into a double play as Wayne State held on for the 8-6 win.
            WSC had nine hits in the win, led by Heard and Chaney who both had two hits including a homer while scoring two runs each.  Cannon and Cunningham each had doubles while Mains singled and scored twice.
            Albert worked 6 1/3 innings to record his third win in three starts for WSC, allowing eight hits and four runs (two earned) with five strikeouts.  Cannon needed just two pitches to get the final two outs and record his third save of the year. 
            The second game saw the Wildcats build a 7-0 lead only to watch the Huskies shock WSC with five runs in the bottom of the ninth for a miraculous 8-7 win to salvage a split. 
            WSC scored three runs in the third, one in the fourth, two in the fifth and one more in the sixth for a 7-0 lead.
            St. Cloud State plated three runs to get on the board in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 7-3.
            It remained 7-3 until the Huskies stunned the 'Cats with five runs in the bottom of the ninth for the 8-7 rally.
            Final stats on the contest were not available late Friday evening. 
            Wayne State and St. Cloud State will play a nine-inning game Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in Joplin, Mo.