MARSHALL, Minn. – The Winona State baseball team won a pair of tight ballgames to sweep a doubleheader over Southwest Minnesota State on Wednesday at Legion Field in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action.
 
WSU, which improves to 17-19 overall, 12-11 NSIC, won the opener 4-3 and then broke a 7-7 tie in the ninth inning with five runs to earn a 12-7 victory in game two.
 
SMSU drops to 16-22 overall, 6-20 NSIC.
 
In game one, the Warriors took advantage of walks and hit by pitches, while coming through with clutch two out hits. WSU built a 3-0 lead early in the game scoring a on a wild pitch in the second inning before using a two-out, two-run double in the third.
 
Trailing 3-0 in the third inning, Nathan Wheeler put SMSU on the board with a solo home run over the left field fence. SMSU added another run in the frame on a two-out pop up by Josh Berreth that was lost in the sun by the WSU third baseman to cut the WSU advantage to 3-2.
 
WSU added a two-out RBI double in the fourth to build a 4-2 lead before SMSU pulled to within 4-3 in the sixth on a two-out RBI double by Henry Hammrich to score pinch runner Jacob Merrill.
 
SMSU had a two-out single in the seventh, but a pop out ended the comeback attempt.
 
SMSU starting pitching Tad Tjaden (1-3) pitched four innings and allowed four runs on three hits with three walks, one hit by pitch and three strikeouts. Jameson Quinn fired three shutout innings with two strikeouts.
 
SMSU closed game one with seven hits with Levi Lampert collecting two hits and scoring one run, while Berreth also added two hits. Connor Davis, Hammrich and Wheeler each finished with one hit.
 
In game two, SMSU rallied to tie the game on three different occasions, but WSU answered each time, including breaking a 7-7 tie in the top of the ninth inning.
 
WSU scored two unearned runs in the third and then plated a third run in the fourth on a two-out wild pitch to build a 3-0 lead off SMSU starting pitcher Ryan Bell.
 
SMSU answered with three runs in the home half of the third with Lampert smacking a run-scoring double while Davis with hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. The final run of the inning came across to score on a wild pitch.
 
WSU used a two-out solo home run to regain the lead in the fifth but SMSU came right back with Wheeler lofting a sac fly to score Hammrich and tie the game at 4-4.
 
WSU went back in front once again in the sixth scoring an unearned run on a potential double play with one out to make the score 5-4.
 
WSU pushed across two runs on four hits in the eighth inning to extend the margin to 7-4, but once again SMSU would not go away and tied the game in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Wheeler started the rally with a bunt single before Lampert walked to bring the tying run to the plate. Cortez plated the first run with an RBI double before Davis walked to load the bases with no outs. Following a strikeout, Carter Lang hit a sac fly to score Lampert and pull SMSU within a run at 7-6. Moments later, the Mustangs tied the score as Cortez sprinted across on a wild pitch. The inning however came to a close with a fly out with runners on second and third.
 
WSU put together the game-winning rally in the ninth off SMSU relief pitcher Austin Dent. With one out, the Warriors used a hit by a pitch, wild pitch and RBI single to break the tie. WSU would collect four more hits and take advantage of a SMSU fielding error to add four more runs and build a 12-7 lead.
 
A total of six WSU pitchers walked 10 and hit four batters in game two, but SMSU could not take advantage, collecting just six hits and leaving 14 runners on base. Lampert was 2 for 4 with two walks and two runs scored, while Davis had one hit, one RBI, walked three times and was hit by a pitch.
 
SMSU continues home action on Sunday with a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. versus Jamestown. It will be Senior Day at the ballpark with the program honoring its seniors in a pregame ceremony. The series will conclude with a single game on Monday at 12 p.m.