NSIC Leading Wayne State Sweeps Southwest Minnesota State

Game One Box

Game Two Box

MARSHALL, MINN.: No. 22 ranked Wayne State College maintained its first place lead in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference with a doubleheader sweep over Southwest Minnesota State on Wednesday in Marshall winning 4-2 and 12-2.

WSC now improves to 27-7 overall, 13-3 NSIC, while SMSU falls to 16-12 overall, 6-6 NSIC.

In the opener, WSC starting pitcher Nick Schumacher tossed a complete game scattering eight hits and allowing just one earned run. The senior right-hander struck out six Mustang hitters while walking three.

With the wind blowing hard and straight out to centerfield it looked like it could be a long day for the pitchers, but Schumacher and SMSU starter Curtis Smith and two Mustang relievers were solid in shutting down hitters.

WSC jumped to an early lead on a solo home run by Alex Koch in the second inning. The Wildcats scored two more in the third on a two-out, two-run single by Nick Bidroski.

SMSU cut into the lead in the bottom of the third on a solo home run by Greg Laughlin, his first home run of the season. Sean Soderberg answered back for WSC in the fourth inning with a solo home run to push the WSC lead to 4-1.

SMSU trimmed the lead to 4-2 in the fifth inning as Laughlin scored on a fielding error by the WSC shortstop. That was as close as SMSU would come though as the Mustangs left two runners on the fifth and one each in the sixth and seventh innings.

Smith suffered the loss allowing five hits, four runs and three walks in 5.2 innings while striking out a career-high seven batters.

Laughlin finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored while Jake Munsch and Tony Rislov each chipped in with two hits.

In game two WSC scored six first inning runs and never looked back in earning the victory. Mustang starter Andrew Kinney allowed six runs, four hits, walked one and hit a batter while retiring just two WSC batters. Ryan Stoll came on in relief and was solid allowing three runs in four innings with two strikeouts and zero walks.

SMSU scored its only runs of the game on a two-run home run by Matt Paulsen, his first of his career.

Laughlin paced the SMSU offense with three hits.

SMSU will continue the homestand this weekend with a key four-game series versus Upper Iowa. Saturday's twinbill begins at 12 p.m.

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