Winona State Sweeps Bemidji State in Four-Game NSIC Baseball Series

Winona State's Warriors left Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with a four-game NSIC series sweep of Bemidji State, finishing the weekend with lopsided 16-3 and 7-1 wins on Sunday to cap a damaging road trip for the Beavers.

The Warriors completed the sweep with wins of 16-3 and 7-1, dominating Game 1 after scoring 12 runs in the first two innings. Easton Arendt led the way in the opener, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs, while Dylan Harer added three hits and Patterson drove in a team-high four runs.

Patterson and Pederson traded RBI doubles to push Winona State to a 10-0 lead, then Josh Hatano and Arendt connected on back-to-back doubles to make it 12-0 by the end of the second inning. Bemidji State trimmed the deficit with a two-run home run in the fourth and a sacrifice fly in the sixth, pulling within 13-3. Arendt added a two-RBI single and Harer drove in another with a double in the sixth, sealing the 16-3 final.

Game 2 stayed scoreless until the second inning, when a two-RBI triple by Cayden Mueller and a two-RBI single by Connor Weed staked Winona State to a 4-0 lead, with an RBI walk by Joe Fischer extending it to 5-0. Boone Kirst singled in a run in the fourth and Maddux Poock scored on a passed ball in the sixth before the Beavers scored their lone run in the final frame, closing the book at 7-1. Cal Casper led Winona State with two hits in Game 2, while Weed and Mueller each drove in two runs.

Bemidji State had entered the weekend at 5-13 overall and 2-6 in NSIC play, already carrying a losing record into a series that proved unforgiving. The Beavers' pitching staff posted a 9.74 ERA on the season heading in, allowing opponents to hit .334 against them while surrendering 184 hits in 130.1 innings.

Leadoff threat Nash Rubbins had been one of the few bright spots for BSU, batting .424 with a .485 on-base percentage and 13 stolen bases coming into the series.

Following the series against Winona State, Bemidji State travels to Wayne State for a four-game series beginning Saturday, March 28. The Beavers will need to find answers on the mound quickly: four games against a fresh opponent arrive with little margin for error.