> Game 1 Box
> Game 2 Box

WINONA, Minn. – Brian Redemske snapped a 3-3 game with a two-run home run in the top of the ninth to help Southwest Minnesota State defeat Winona State 10-7 and earn a split of a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader on Tuesday.
 
WSU held off a late SMSU rally in the opener to win 10-8.
 
Following the go-ahead homer in game two, SMSU added five more runs to build a 10-3 lead and then held off a late comeback attempt by WSU to secure the victory.
 
With the split, SMSU is now 10-12 overall, 3-3 NSIC, while WSU is 8-14 overall, 6-4 NSIC.
 
In the nightcap, SMSU trailed 3-2 in the eighth inning before Patrick Rients belted a one-out home run over the right field wall to tie the game at 3-3.
 
In the ninth, Derek Branson hit a one-out single and was followed by Redemske's home run—his second of the season—to put SMSU back in the lead at 5-3. The Mustangs went on to add five more important insurance runs in the inning. Rients gave SMSU a 6-3 lead with an RBI double, before Shane Sellner later came through with a two-out, bases-clearing double to extend the margin to 9-3. Cole VanderBeek then capped the scoring with an RBI single to give SMSU a 10-3 lead.
 
WSU wouldn't go away and put together a one-out rally, taking advantage of an SMSU error and two walks to score four runs and bring the tying run to the plate. Jake Leighton, the fourth SMSU pitcher of the game, closed the game with a strikeout and fly out to record his second save of the season.
 
SMSU started the game's scoring in the top of the first with Jarred Carlson hitting a two-out RBI single to score Rients.
 
The Mustangs used another two-out rally in the fifth to take a 2-0 lead. With two outs, Jason Minett hit a double and moments later came around to score on a run-scoring single by Tanner Neale.
 
The Warriors scored three runs off of SMSU starter Brandon Alfson in the fifth inning to take a one-run lead. Alfson was outstanding in the game, retiring the Warriors in order in four of six innings of work. He finished the game allowing three runs on five hits with five strikeouts and one walk.
 
Colton Smit (1-0) tossed two shutout innings with four strikeouts to keep the game close and earn his first win of the season for SMSU.
 
The Mustangs closed the game with 14 hits with every starter collecting at least one base hit. Rients finished 3 for 5 with two RBIs and three runs scored, while Neale, Carlson and Branson each added two hits.
 
In the opener, SMSU, which trailed 10-3 after three innings, made a comeback attempt, but twice left in the bases loaded in both the fifth and sixth innings. The Mustangs also left runners on second and third in the fourth and finished the game leaving 11 runners on base.
 
The Mustangs scored the game's first run on an RBI double by Austin Stubbs to score Rients in the top of the first inning.
 
The Warriors answered back in a big way, scoring five runs on six hits in the home half of the first to take an early 5-1 lead.
 
SMSU plated two runs in the second as Branson delivered a two-run single, to score Alfson and Noah Bluth, who both started the inning with back-to-back singles to make the score 5-3.
 
WSU came right back with two more runs in the second and then added three more in the third to extend the lead to 10-3.
 
SMSU started its comeback attempt in the fourth with Bluth leading off with a single and later scoring on an RBI single by Neale.
 
In the sixth, a walk to Minett, a single by Reints and a fielding error loaded the bases with one out. Carlson then dropped a two-run single to left field making the score 10-6, before Redemske was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Bluth coaxed a bases loaded to score a run, and was followed by a VanderBeek sac fly to score another run and cut the deficit to 10-8. SMSU loaded the bases and put the tying run on second base following another WSU error, but a strikeout ended rally.
 
SMSU put a runner on base in the seventh, but a game-ending double play closed the win for WSU.
 
The Mustangs finished with 11 hits as Rients, Carlson and Bluth all collected two apiece.
 
Joe Axelson (0-2) started and took the loss for SMSU, giving up seven runs on eight hits in 1 1/3 innings. Travis McGlauflin was solid in relief giving the Mustangs a chance at a comeback. He allowed three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and no walks and held WSU scoreless the final three innings.
 
Southwest Minnesota State continues NSIC play on the road this Friday and Saturday with a four-game series versus Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D. Doubleheaders both days start at 4 p.m.