Apr. 2, 2007

WINONA, Minn. (Loughrey Field) - [Gm 1][Gm 2] - The Winona State University pitching staff held Bemidji State to just seven hits in 14 innings of play as the Warriors used 2-1 and 13-0 victories to complete the season series sweep over the Beavers Monday at Loughrey Field in Winona, Minn.

P.J. McIntee (So., Randolph, Minn.) collected a pair of singles to pace the Beavers at the plate while Josh Langlie (Sr., Thief River Falls, Minn.) pitched six innings allowing five hits and two runs, walking two and striking out six in the 2-1, game one loss.

The Warriors struck in the bottom of the second as Tony Lubarsky earned the game's first hit singling to center field advancing Andrew Kes to second. Ronny Olson followed with a base hit up the middle plating Kes to put WSU up 1-0.

The Beavers would erase the WSU advantage in the top of the third.

Josh Silvernagle (Fr., Bismarck, N.D.) posted his second double of 2007. Mike Wagner (Jr., Plymouth, N.H.), who received a free pass to first base after being hit by the Winona State hurler, scored on the play.

The teams were retired in order in each of their next plate appearances but the Warriors would break the tie in the bottom of the fourth when Olson singled through the right side to score B.J. Samuelson from second after doubling to right field with one out.

That was all Justin Kunferman and the WSU defense would need.

Despite BSU's Eric Pilgrim (Sr., Park Rapids, Minn.) ripping a two-bagger down the right field line to advance Danny Zielke (Jr., Richfield, Minn.) to third with two outs in the top of the seventh, the Beavers failed to score the DH.

Kunferman went the distance for WSU allowing just one run on three BSU hits while striking out four. He improves to 3-0 on the season. Langlie falls to 0-5.

Winona State wasted no time taking a lead in game two. Four of the first six Warrior batters to step into the box reached capped by a bases-clearing double to the gap in right-center field by Ross Hellenbrand. The three-run rally was just the tip of the iceberg as WSU belted 13 hits during the next five innings en route to the 13-0 shutout.

Dru Mickelson led the Warriors going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and a pair of RBI. Hellenbrand was a perfect 3-for-3 with five RBI.

Dan Burch took the hill for five innings striking out five while giving up three hits to earn his second win of the season (2-0) while the Beavers used a quartet of pitchers with Brent Vollbrecht (So., Morristown, Minn.) getting the nod and finishing three innings falling to 0-3 in 2007.

The Warriors used the pair of wins to improve to 14-7 overall while the team is a perfect 8-0 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.

Bemidji State (3-23; 1-7 NSIC) will return to action tomorrow afternoon as the Beavers travel to Fayette, Iowa to battle Upper Iowa University in NSIC action. First pitch of the double header is slated for 1 p.m. at Robertson Woods Field.

--bsu--