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WSU survived a ninth inning push from Viterbo (Wis.) and won 5-3 Monday in a nonconference matchup at Loughrey Field.
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Winona State's Ben Smothers slides safely into second base as Viterbo's Connor O'Halloran anticipates the throw Monday during the Warriors' finaly regular-season game at WSU's baseball field. (photo by Katie Derus/Winona Daily News) |
“It was a little closer in the end than what we would have wanted.” Warriors coach Kyle Poock said. “We wanted to keep the shutout, but we got the win.”
After eight innings, WSU led 5-0 and only allowed three hits.
Warriors pitcher Brent Wohlers retired two of the first three hitters to start the ninth but had trouble after that.
Viterbo’s (29-16) Howard Heinrich walked then Josh Underkofler followed with a single to load the bases. The next batter, Connor O’Halloran, singled in two to give Viterbo its first two runs of the game.
Shane Michiels followed with an RBI double to make the score 5-3. After the double, Evan Buhr was brought in to relieve Wohlers.
With runners at second and third, V-Hawks third baseman Kyle Dreger hit a towering fly ball to left center field and the ball was caught on the warning track by Warriors left fielder Brett Maxwell to end the game.
“I thought when (Dreger) hit that ball it was out of the park,” said Viterbo coach Chad Miller,
whose team played its last game of the season Monday. “It’s clear that the ball
doesn’t carry to well at night. He hit that ball pretty well and if he hit that ball during the day, I’m pretty sure it would’ve left the park.”
Before the ninth inning, WSU (21-19) had a strangle hold on the game. Every inning the Warriors brought in a different pitcher and they ended up using nine pitchers overall. Those nine pitchers gave up three runs on six hits, walked six and struck out seven.
“We pre-determined who was going to be pitching what inning, so everyone knew who was going to be pitching what inning,” said Poock, whose team plays Thursday at 1 p.m. against Wayne State (Neb.) in the NSIC tournament. “It’s tough for the opposing team to get in a rhythm because they’re facing a new pitcher every inning.”
Ronnie Olson went 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI, Ross Hellenbrand went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and Sam Henriksen had an RBI single for the Warriors.
For Viterbo, starter Levi Adank went six innings, allowed four runs on five hits, walked five and struck out six.
