Junior left fielder Travis Miller went a combined 4-for-9 with two homers and five RBI to lift Wayne State to a doubleheader sweep Monday at Bemidji State, winning 6-5 and 12-8.
In the opener, Wayne State came back from a 4-0 deficit and scored two runs with two out in the top of the seventh to steal the first game from the Beavers.
Aidan Breedlove was touched for four runs on five hits in the opening inning, but settled down after that and gave up just two hits over the next five innings to give Wayne State a chance to come back from the early deficit.
Alex Logelin doubled home Bryce Bisenius and Tanner Simons, then came home on a CJ Neumann double in the third to help Wayne State pull within a run at 4-3. They would tie the game in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Simons, scoring Colin Chick.
Wayne State broke the tie in the seventh, getting back-to-back doubles by Simons and Bisenius to take the lead, then getting a key insurance run when Travis Miller brought home pinch-runner Jackson Petersen.
Lawson Zenner came on in relief of Breedlove, giving up a run but striking out the side to get his fourth save of the season and preserve the victory.
Simons, Chick, Bisenius, Miller and Andrew Hanson each had two hits to lead the Wildcats’ 13-hit attack. Breedlove struck out four in six innings of work to earn the win.
In the second game, Miller hit a pair of two-run homers in the first and third innings to stake the Wildcats to an early 4-0 advantage, and Simons added a solo shot in the fifth to make it a 5-0 game.
The Wildcats continued to dominate at the plate, getting two more runs in the sixth, a single run in the seventh and four more in the eighth.
Aaron Ras pitched six shutout innings to get the win. Bemidji State avoided the shutout by scoring four in the eighth and four in the ninth, thanks to six errors and nine walks by the Wildcats, but Wayne State held on for the win.
Miller was 2-for-5 with four RBI’s and three runs scored to lead a 15-hit effort. Peyton Barnes was 3-for-6 and Simons was 2-for-4 with two RBI’s and two runs scored. Bisenius, Hanson and Lorenzini each had two hits.
The Wildcats (15-19, 13-11 NSCI) will be at home Wednesday, hosting Concordia-St. Paul in an NSIC doubleheader at 1:30 p.m. at the Chapman Complex.
