TUCSON, Ariz. – Now these games mean a little bit more.
The Minot State baseball team wraps up a two-week trip to Arizona, returning to NSIC action with a pair of doubleheaders against Winona State on Saturday and Sunday, a team the Beavers have already battled this week.
Matching up in a non-conference contest on Tuesday, the Minot State bats erupted early then the Beavers hung tough for a 10-9 victory over Winona State.
Now the two teams meet once again in the sunshine in Arizona, this time for a neutral-site, 4-game league series with the Warriors slated as the home team.
The Warriors (6-3 overall, 4-0 NSIC) have been off since Tuesday, and after the 10-9 setback to Minot State, Winona State also lost 10-4 in a non-NSIC contest to Southwest Minnesota State.
Junior outfielder Payton Beyer leads the Warriors with a gaudy .529 (9-of-17) batting average, while senior infielder Jess Ondell is hitting .389 (7-of-18) and grad student and infielder Cole Fuecker is batting .375 (15-of-40). Against Minot State, though, that trio collected just two hits, both by Fuecker as both Beyer and Ondell were hitless pinch-hitters.
Sophomore outfielder Adam Wall led the way against the Beavers, going 4-for-5, and freshman infielder Garrett Heitpas was 3-for-3 and both drove in a pair of runs.
As a team, the Warriors are hitting .303 with 10 home runs and averaging 9.1 runs per game.
On the hill, the Warriors have gotten two wins from senior right-handed reliever George Henkel (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 6 Ks, 4 2/3 innings), while junior righty Pierce Gritzmaker (1-0, 6.00 ERA, 11 Ks, 9 innings) has a win in two starts.
Junior righty Peyton Lee and freshman right-hander Easton Arendt shared time on the hill against the Beavers as Arendt went 5 scoreless innings with 4 Ks.
As a team, the Warriors have a 6.69 ERA, have struck out 81 opposing batters in 74 innings, and foes hit .301 against Winona State.
For the Beavers, senior outfielder
Brent Riddle led the way Tuesday, as he's done all season, with 3 hits. Riddle is hitting .500 (22-of-44), which is tied for 2
nd in the NSIC, with a home run and 9 RBIs.
Junior infielders
Noah Madas and
Michael Williamson, and junior catcher
Oscar Pegg, each had two hits against Winona State while Pegg drove in 5 runs in the win.
As a team, Minot State is hitting .332 with 6 home runs and averaging 8.67 runs per game.
Senior outfielder
Connor Hill is right behind Riddle hitting .457 (21-of-46) with 10 RBIs, and Williams also is over .400 with a .405 average (15-of-37) with a home run and 7 RBIs, leading a prolific Beaver offense.
Junior right-hander
Devin Marton earned the win against Winona State as Minot State sent 8 pitchers to the mound. Marton threw one scoreless inning of relief with 2 Ks. Sophomore righty
Conner Meldrim picked up the save with a scoreless inning of relief, also striking out two, as Minot State pitchers racked up 13 strikeouts in the victory.
On the hill, Minot State has been similar to the Warriors with a 6.14 team ERA in 99 2/3 innings with 103 strikeouts, and opponents hit .303 against the Beavers.
Marton (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 Ks in 2 innings) leads the way with 2 wins in relief, while sophomore right-handed starter
Jacob Thompson has a win in two starts (1-0, 3.60 ERA, 7 Ks in 10 innings) for the Beavers.
This weekend's four-game series wraps up the Beavers' two-weeks in Arizona as Minot State returns to the Midwest next weekend to play a four-game series at Wayne State, March 22-23, then the Beavers make their home debut at Corbett Field hosting Southwest Minnesota State for doubleheaders on Saturday, March 29, and Sunday, March 30.
