Allison Mueller/ Winonan

The Winona State University baseball team played on their home field Tuesday, April 15, splitting two games against Wayne State.

The Warriors fell to Wayne State in game one, 1-0, a close game described by head coach Kyle Poock as “a pitcher’s duel.”

Winona State’s pitcher Tyler Zemla threw eight shutout innings while their opponent went seven scoreless frames. Both starters combined for a total of ten strikeouts and both teams combined had ten hits.

The Warriors contributed four of the hits, two by Ryan Nyhagen, a double from Lucas Crimmins and a single by Jordan Plamann.

The game was scoreless going into the top of the tenth where Wayne State scored the game’s only run for the win, 1-0.

Poock said the Warriors were able to get their leadoff guy on base, but were unable to make contact after.

“Their guy really pitched well, but we could have done a little better at bat,” Poock said.

Winona State redeemed itself in the next game, crushing Wayne State, 14-1.

Poock said before the second game he told the Warriors, “This is a game that we need to win. The 1-0 game is done so let’s move forward, stay focused, know what our job is and play good baseball.”

The Warriors did just that, scoring in each of the first four innings to create an 11-0 lead early in the game.

Winona State scored three runs in the first inning with Nyhagen scoring on an error and Nathan Krause and Plamann each producing RBIs.

In the second inning the Warriors scored four more runs followed by two runs in both the third and fourth innings, pushing Winona State’s lead to 11-0.

After Wayne State hit a solo home run to get on the board in the top of the sixth, Winona State answered in the bottom of the inning with a bases-loaded double by Jesus Cazares to score three and give the Warriors the win, 14-1.

Cazares was 4-for-5 with a career-best five RBIs, while Nehring went 3-for-5. Nyhagen also had three hits and Travis Evanson produced a pair of base hits.

Poock said what contributed most to the Warrior’s win was their pitching.

“We had a really good pitching effort from Mike Wasilik. He had a really quick inning and our guys came in and scored runs right away. We stayed focused, and had an overall complete, good game,” Poock said.

Winona State traveled to Minot, N.D., the following Friday to face Minot State in a four-game series. Poock said the Warriors had only played a few games against Minot State in the past and were unsure of what to expect.

Regardless, Poock said the Warriors were prepared for the games and “ready to go.”

The Warriors proved this to be true by winning three out of four games. The first game Winona State defeated Minot State, 7-4.

The Warriors opened with a quick 2-0 lead after Nehring and Evanson set up a two-run double by Cazares. Nehring hit his fifth home run of the season to extend the lead 3-0 in the top of the third inning.

Minot State scored a run in the bottom of the third inning but Winona State answered back in the fourth with a score from Wasilik after a pair of wild pitches from the Minot State pitcher.

Minot State’s pitcher continued to struggle, hitting Nehring and walking Evanson in the fifth inning. Lucas Warren hit a double and scored on another wild pitch. Cazares hit his third RBI of the game, scoring Nehring and extended the Warrior’s lead, 6-1.

After Minot State scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Warriors came back with a run in the sixth inning from Nehring after Warren hit an RBI single. This gave Winona State the lead and win, 7-4.

Pitcher Chase Blazier went six innings while striking out four and Scott Freiburger produced a perfect seventh inning to secure the win.

In the second game, Winona State led early once again after Nehring hit his second home run of the day, scoring two runs for the Warriors.

Minot State answered in the bottom of the inning with two runs, but Nehring hit an RBI double to give Winona State back the lead, 3-2.

Minot State scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning, but only held on to its lead for a short time. Crimmins scored in the top of the fourth followed by a two-run single from Nyhagen to plate Joseph Kubera and Krause, giving back the lead to Winona State, 6-4.

The Warriors extended their lead 8-4 after Evanson scored Nehring in the following inning. Winona State finished with five more runs in the final innings of the game, giving them the win, 13-4.

The following day Winona State defeated Wayne State in the opener for the second time.

The Warriors took the lead 2-0 in the top of the third inning as Nehring hit a home run with Nyhagen on base. Minot State answered with a run in the bottom of the third inning, followed by another run in the bottom of the sixth inning, tying the game, 2-2.

In the seventh inning, Evanson hit a grand slam to give Winona State a 6-2 lead and the win.

In the final game, the Warriors took another 2-0 lead early when Cazares walked, Crimmins doubled and Geislinger brought them both home with a two-run single in the second inning.

Minot State scored three runs to take the lead, but Winona State regained the lead after an RBI single from Crimmins and Geislinger’s third RBI of the game.

The Warrior’s 4-3 lead remained until the bottom of the sixth inning when Minot State tied it up.

Extra innings settled the tie, and Minot State hit a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the tenth inning to defeat Winona State, 5-4.

The Warriors are 16-17 overall (13-8 NSIC) and face Sioux Falls in a four-game series this weekend at home.