Hunter Wienhoff fired a one-hit shutout and faced the minimum 21 batters in the opener as Wayne State split their final two games of their four-game home stand with Minnesota Duluth, with the Wildcats taking the opener 4-0 and the Bulldogs earning a 6-2 win in the nightcap.
The story of the first game was the pitching of Wienhoff, a sophomore righthander from Quincy, Ill., who allowed only a single and a walk while striking out seven to earn the shutout.
Wienhoff allowed a second-inning single to Duluth Drew Stewart and a leadoff walk to Chase Thomas to open the fourth, but both baserunners were erased on double plays by the Wayne State defense.
Wayne State scored all four runs in the third inning on four hits and two Bulldog errors. The key hit was a bases-loaded clearing double from Bryce Bisenius. Bisenius later scored when Travis Milelr singled to left and Bisenius advanced home on a fielding error.
Wayne State had five hits in the game, as Tanner Simons ended 2-for-3 with a double and run scored while Miller and Zane Zitek each added singles.
The second game saw Minnesota Duluth salvage a split in the series, taking control early with runs in the first and second innings and three more in the sixth off starter Charles Hasty.
Wayne State scored both of its runs in the bottom of the sixth. Andrew Hanson led off the inning with a solo homer, with Travis Miller singled and later scoring on a wild pitch.
Duluth had nine hits in the win to eight for Wayne State. Hanson finished 3-for-4 with a solo homer. Kyle Thompson was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles while Simons, Miller and Peyton Barnes each singled.
Hasty (1-2) suffered the pitching loss, allowing seven runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings with one walk and one strikeout. Isaac Rubendall worked 1 2/3 innings of relief and was charged with one run on two hits. Sophomore Lawson Zenner pitched the final two innings and did not allow a hit with one walk and one strikeout.
Wayne State (8-10, 6-2 NSIC) resumes play on Friday and Saturday, March 30-31, with a NSIC road trip to Minot State.
