Allison Mueller/ Winonan

The cold weather has been the Winona State University baseball team’s enemy this year, causing a slow start to their season by forcing cancelations and indoor practices.

Even after a few warm and sunny days, the weather was a hindrance for the Warriors this weekend as the second doubleheader of the four-game series against Bemidji State was canceled due to cold temperatures in Bemidji, Minn.

The Warriors were able to play their first doubleheader against Bemidji State on Saturday and won both games. They also split a doubleheader against Southwest Minnesota State on April 9 in Marshall, Minn.

The first game against Southwest Minnesota State University resulted in a win for Winona State, 8-5.

Head coach Kyle Poock said the Warriors pitched well, played good defense and executed offensively to give them the win.

SMSU scored the first run of the game, but Travis Evanson answered in the top of the second inning with a double, which allowed him to score for the Warriors and tie the game.

In the fourth inning, SMSU hit a home run to score two runs and take back the lead. The Warriors answered in the next inning when the bases were loaded and Andrew Geislinger was hit by a pitch, crediting him with an RBI. Ryan Nyhagen followed with a two-RBI single to put the Warriors up 4-3.

Winona State’s lead was extended after Evanson hit a home run in the top of the sixth inning. Tyler Nehring produced a three-run hit in the seventh inning to stretch the Warrior’s lead even further, 8-3. SMSU cut the lead to 8-5 in the seventh inning but were unable to defeat the Warriors. The final game of the doubleheader brought a loss for Winona State in a close game of 6-5.

The game was scoreless until the third inning when SMSU took the lead, 1-0. In the top of the fourth inning, Jesus Cazares scored for the Warriors followed by a two-RBI double from Geislinger to score Jonathan Nelson and Cazares. SMSU answered in the bottom of the inning and regained their lead, 4-3.

In the seventh inning Evanson hit a two-run home run to give the Warriors a 5-4 lead. They held the lead until the bottom of the ninth inning when SMSU hit a home run to tie the game. After back-to-back strikeouts from Scott Freiburger, SMSU hit back-to-back doubles to conclude the game and defeat Winona State, 6-5.

“We played well enough that we should have won the game,” Freiburger said. “The bullpen threw well and a couple of unexecuted pitches late in the game led to a couple of runs that ended up costing us the game.”

On Saturday, April 12 the Warriors played their first and only doubleheader of the four-game series against Bemidji State. Poock said Bemidji State has been a team to always hit the ball well, but it is unknown what to expect from their opponent.

“They had a really good team last year and played really well,” Poock said. “They were senior dominated so now they have a lot of freshman on their roster, but we can anticipate that they’re going to keep on swinging the bat well.”

In the first game Winona State scored the first five runs beginning with Geislinger who hit a single to bring home Nathan Krause in the top of the second inning.

In the third inning Mike Wasilik and Nyhagen were on base to set up Evanson to score one on a RBI single. Brett Young followed by plating Wasilik. Lucas Crimmins hit a double to score Evanson.

The Warriors increased their lead 5-0 in the fifth inning when Geislinger hit his second RBI single of the game. Bemidji State answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning, scoring the final runs and giving Winona State the win, 5-2.

Game two of the doubleheader gave Winona State another victory, 16-0. The first two runs of the game were scored in the top of the third after Evanson doubled to score Nyhagen.

The Warriors extended their lead 6-0 in the fourth inning. Michael Hommes stole second while Geislinger made his way to home. Nyhagen and Nehring each singled runs and with the bases loaded, Cazares was hit by a pitch to plate another.

Nyhagen scored Hommes on a two-run home run in the fifth inning. An RBI single from Geislinger in the sixth inning increased Winona State’s lead, 9-0.

After Wasilik walked in the top of the seventh inning, Nehring hit a home run. Two more singles followed and Cazares doubled to plate one. Krause hit an RBI single followed by a double from Geislinger, scoring one more.

To finish the game, Hommes hit an RBI groundout and Wasilik concluded with an RBI double, shutting out Bemidji State 16-0.

Between both games the Warriors had a total of 30 hits and pitchers Chase Blazier and Will Lundquist combined to allow a pair of runs.

Blazier allowed only nine hits and two runs in the first game and Lundquist scattered six hits and struck out five in the second game, remaining perfect and moving his record 4-0.

The final doubleheader against Bemidji State was canceled and will not be made up. The Warriors are 12-15 overall and 9-6 in NSIC play.

Winona State will hit the road Friday and head to Minot, N.D. to face Minot State in a four-game series this weekend.