Wayne State College opened Northern Sun Conference baseball play Saturday, dropping two games to Minot State by scores of 7-3 and 11-1 in eight innings at the Pete Chapman Baseball Complex in Wayne.
In the opener, Minot State score five runs in the final three innings to rally for the win.
Wayne State trailed 2-0 before scoring all three of its runs in the second inning. Kyle Thompson’s RBI double scored Bodie Cooper with the first run, Tandon Dorn delivered an RBI single that scored Thompson while Dorn scored on Chris May’s single for a 3-2 Wildcat lead.
Minot State tied the game with a single run in the fifth, then took the lead for good with a three-run sixth and added an insurance run in the seventh to seal the win.
Minot State had 10 hits in the game to just four by the Wildcats (4-8, 0-2 NSIC). Thompson had an RBI double for the Wildcats while the other three hits were singles by Aaron Krier, Dorn and May. Bobby St. Pierre (1-2) suffered the pitching loss, charged with six runs (four earned) on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings with four strikeouts and three walks. Junior reliever Kyle Kennebeck worked the final 1 2/3 innings.
In the nightcap, Minot State starter Reilly O’Rourke took a no-hitter into the seventh as the Beavers completed the sweep, ending the game on the 10-run rule.
Wayne State’s lone hits in the game with a seventh inning pinch-hit single by Bryce Bisenius and a Peyton Barnes single in the eighth. Barnes scored the lone Wildcat run in the eighth on a wild pitch. Minot State had 10 hits in the game compared to just two for the Wildcats.
Hunter Wienhoff was tagged with the pitching loss, allowing four runs over 2 2/3 innings on two hits with two strikeouts and four walks. Keenan Breen worked four innings of relief followed by 2/3 innings from Brady Johnson and Gabe Hoogers.
The two teams meet again Sunday in a doubleheader at 12 p.m. to close out the four-game series at the Chapman Complex.
