Wayne State fended off final-inning rallies in both games to defeat Southwest Minnesota State in NSIC baseball action Wednesday at the Chapman Complex, winning 5-4 and 4-3.
Wayne State saw a 4-0 lead get away in the opener before coming back and winning the game on a wild pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to salvage the win.
Garrett Graveline got Wayne State on the board in the second with an RBI single, scoring David Janes, and Travis Miller added a two-run homer to left in the third to make it 3-0.
Wayne State’s lead improved to 4-0 in the fifth when Tanner Simons doubled and later scored on a wild pitch, but Southwest came back with four in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 4-4.
In the bottom of the seventh, Rob Ramsey walked and Simons reached on an intentional walk. Jackson Petersen reach on a fielder’s choice after Southwest failed to cover second base on a sacrifice to load the bases, and pinch runner Jake Lorenzini came home on a wild pitch to give Wayne State the win.
Miller was 2-for-3 to lead Wayne State’s six-hit effort. Bryce Bisenius and Andrew Hanson both added hits in the win. Lawson Zenner got the win in relief of Aidan Breedlove, who pitched 6 2/3 innings and struck out nine to get the win.
In the nightcap, Hunter Wienhoff tossed a complete-game win, striking out 10 to help the Wildcats finish the two-game sweep of the Mustangs.
Miller’s RBI double got Wayne State on the board in the first, and he added an RBI single to a sacrifice fly by Janes to make it 3-0 in the third.
Peyton Barnes drove in a run in the fourth to make it 4-0 before Southwest used a solo homer to get on the board in the fifth. Southwest doubled its hit total for the game in the ninth with three hits to pull within a run, but Wienhoff was able to get a strikeout and a flyout to center to hang on for the complete-game win.
Miller was 3-for-4 to account for half of Wayne State’s six hits in the win. Barnes was 2-for-5 and Bisenius added a double. Wienhoff struck out 10 and allowed six hits with no walks to earn the win.
Wayne State (11-17, 9-9 NSIC) is scheduled to host Northern State this weekend in a four-game NSIC series with doubleheaders scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at 12 p.m. each day at the Chapman Complex.
