SIOUX FALLS, S.D. --- The Minnesota State baseball team rallied from a six-run deficit to defeat Winona State 15-8 on day two of the NSIC Tournament.
With the win, MSU improves to 39-12. With the loss, WSU drops to 26-25.
Minnesota State will now take on the Augustana on day three of the NSIC Tournament this Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. at the Birdcage.
Freshman
Kaeden Guida (1-2) earned the win in relief for the Mavericks as he allowed just one run in 3.1 innings, while striking out four. Junior
Sam George earned the no decision as he gave up five runs, four earned, in three innings. Boyd Skelley (0-2) took the loss as he gave up eight runs, on 11 hits, in 6.1 innings. Senior
Ben Irsfeld picked up his fourth save of the season as he shut down the Warriors in the final 1.1 innings.
The second inning saw the Warriors jump out to a 5-0 lead as they recorded seven hits in the inning. Max Pederson drove in one run with a double, while a single from Connor Weed drove in two more. MSU was able to get one run back in the bottom of the second off an RBI-single from
Pambos Nicoloudes.
WSU added two more runs in the top of the fourth as Dylan Harer and Adam Wall each recorded RBI-doubles to put the Warriors up 7-1. The bottom of the fourth again saw the Mavericks respond as sophomore
Jake Berkland, senior
Cole Yearsley and sophomore
CJ Trask each recorded RBI-singles to cut Winona State's lead to 7-4 after four innings.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, seniors
Logan Miller and
Ethan Bowers each reached base via a singles, before coming around to score on a double by Nicoloudes to bring the Mavericks within one of WSU at 7-6.
MSU took the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh as they rallied for three runs to take a 9-7 lead. Nicoloudes drove in one run with a single through the left side, before a single from Yearsley drove in two more.
Winona State managed to get a run in the top of the eighth to make it a one-run game at 9-8, but a six-run bottom of the eighth that included five hit batters and two walks put the Mavericks up 15-8.
The Warriors went down in order in the top of the ninth as the Mavericks came away with the 15-8 win.
Yearsley and Nicoloudes each drove in four runs, while Trask drove in three. Nicoloudes and Trask each recorded three hits as well. Bowers scored four runs in the game, while Miller and senior
Brandon Vlcko each scored three.
