Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

WINONA, Minn. – Justin Clark pitched a career-high eight-plus innings to lead Southwest Minnesota State to an 11-5 victory over Winona State in game two of an NSIC doubleheader at Loughery Field. WSU won game one, 8-2.
 
The two games were scheduled to be played yesterday in Marshall, but were moved due to poor weather conditions. SMSU served as the home team in both games.
 
The victory in game two snapped an eight-game losing streak for the Mustangs.
 
Clark (1-2), whose previous career-high was 4 2/3 innings in his last start versus Northern State on March 29, allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits with one strikeout and two walks.
 
SMSU (3-20, 1-7 NSIC) tied a season-high with 16 hits in the nightcap with Derek Branson leading the way tying a career-high with four hits, including a home run and four runs scored.  Shane Sellner added three hits, including a home run, with three RBIs, while Jon Leighton finished with three hits a pair of RBIs. Kody Larson also had a multi-hit game finishing 2 for 3 with two runs scored.
 
SMSU jumped out to a quick start in the bottom of the first scoring three runs on five hits. The first run scored on an RBI ground out by Leighton, before Sellner double to right center to score Branson. Larson made it 3-0 later in the inning with a run-scoring double to score Sellner.
 
SMSU pushed across three more runs in the third inning to extend the lead. Branson started the frame with a double and scored following an infield single by Leighton and a throwing error on the play by the WSU catcher. Moments later, Sellner drilled a two-run opposite field homer to right field to make the score 6-0.
 
Branson belted a solo homer in the fourth to push the Mustang lead to 7-0.
 
WSU (6-16, 3-6 NSIC) scored its first run in the fifth, but SMSU pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the inning as Larson scored on a WSU fielding error making the score 8-1.
 
WSU trimmed the lead to 8-3 in the sixth following a two-run home run.
 
SMSU added to the lead in the seventh as Tanner Luebke came through with a run-scoring single to score Larson to make it 9-3, before the Mustangs added two more runs in the eight to push the margin to 11-3.
 
In game one, WSU used a seven-run third inning to cruise to the victory.
 
After scoring a run in the top of the first, the Warriors blew the game open plating seven runs on seven hits with a pair of walks to open an 8-0 lead.
 
SMSU was held scoreless until the sixth when Branson belted a two-run home run.
 
Alex Jorgensen (0-4) started for SMSU and lasted two-plus innings, allowing all eight runs on nine hits. He struck out five and walked one. Connor Johnson and Colton Smith combined to toss five shutout innings allowing three hits.
 
Tanner Picht led SMSU's seven-hit attack going 2 for 3 with a run scored.
 
Southwest Minnesota State will have this weekend off before returning to action on Wednesday, April 13, hosting Minnesota Duluth at Alumni Field for a doubleheader.