Winona, Minn. – The Northern State baseball team dropped a pair of games at Winona State on Sunday afternoon by scores of 2-1 and 10-6. Game one was a pitchers dual where the Warriors came up with three critical 2-out hits in the top of the fourth inning. Northern's rally came up four runs short in game two after they out-scored WSU 5-2 in the final three innings of play.
 
THE QUICK DETAILS
Final Score Game 1: NSU 1, WSU 2
Final Score Game 2: NSU 6, WSU 10
Records: NSU 5-13 (0-7 NSIC), WSU 9-13 (5-2 NSIC)
Attendance Game 1: 283
Attendance Game 2: 284
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• Max Otto was in complete control a majority of the contest as Winona State's only three hits came in the top of the fourth inning with two outs; the Warriors first hit a solo homerun to break-up Otto's no-hit bid and followed that up with a double down the right field line and an RBI single to right center to make the score 2-0 in favor of WSU
• Northern cut the deficit to one run in the bottom of the fifth inning as Jack Paulson led off the inning with a solo homerun to left field
• Otto pitched a complete game in the 7-inning contest as he made his fifth start of the season, he suffered the loss on the mound and fell to 0-4 on the season
• Northern State scored their one run off five hits and committed one error defensively

NORTHERN STATE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS – GAME 1
Max Otto: 7.0 innings pitched, 3 hits allowed, 2 earned runs allowed, 5 strikeouts
Jack Paulson: 1-for-3, 1 homerun, 1 RBI, 1 run scored
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• Winona State got the bats going early in game two as they plated three runs in the top of the first inning; the Warriors scored off an RBI double to left center, a bases loaded fielder's choice, and a single to left field
• WSU extended the lead to 6-0 in the top of the third inning as they scored one run off a deeply hit foul ball and a 2-run homerun
• Winona State scored one run in the top of the fifth off a sacrifice line out to left field to push the lead to 7-0
• Northern State was able to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning as Tyler Kimm was able to hit a lead off double to right field and Jackson Meyer singled to right field the next at bat; later in the inning Karson Hesser batted into a fielder's choice to allow Kimm to score from third
• The Warriors added another run on an RBI single to make the score 8-1 in the top of the sixth
• Jack Miller took the mound in relief for the Wolves in the top of the seventh inning and pitched a pair of 3-up, 3-down innings with one strikeout
• NSU made a major dent into the deficit with a 4-run bottom of the seventh; Connor Knecht first scored on a passed ball with the bases loaded, Hesser then notched an RBI on a ground out that allowed Kimm to score, Meyer scored on the second passed ball of the inning, and the Wolves capped the scoring in the inning with a double by Reece Ragatz down the left field line to score Kai Brisk
• A 2-RBI double by Winona State pushed the lead to 10-5 in the top of the ninth, and a solo homerun by Hesser cut the deficit back to 10-6 in the bottom of ninth
• Zach Carolin suffered the loss on the mound in his fifth start of the season, falling to 1-2 on the season as he only pitched 2.0 innings
• Northern State scored their six runs off ten hits and did not commit an error defensively

NORTHERN STATE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS – GAME 2
Jack Miller: 2.0 innings pitched, 0 hits allowed, 0 earned runs allowed, 1 strikeout
Karson Hesser: 2-for-5, 1 homerun, 2 RBI, 1 run scored
Reece Ragatz: 2-for-4, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 walk
Tyler Kimm: 2-for-4, 1 double, 2 runs scored
Jackson Meyer: 2-for-3, 1 run scored, 1 walk
 
UP NEXT
Northern State and Winona State will conclude their 3-game NSIC weekend series tomorrow. First pitch between the Wolves and Warriors is scheduled for 12 p.m. back at Loughery Field in Winona.