HOUSTON, Texas –
Travis Evanson had an RBI double in the seventh inning, driving home the winning run as the Winona State baseball team opened its season with a 3-2 victory over Henderson State Saturday on the first day of the Houston Winter Invitational in Houston, Texas.
With the game tied at two in the bottom of the seventh, Evanson – who was playing his first game in a Warrior uniform – doubled down the right field line to score
Ryan Nyhagen who had singled one batter earlier.
Evanson's double gave Winona State its first lead of the game, with
Joseph Kubera and
Scott Freiburger pitching scoreless eighth and ninth innings to secure the victory.
Winona State had runners on base throughout the game, collecting eight hits while drawing seven walks.
Jonathan Nelson led the Warriors with a pair of hits in his four at bats, while Kubera,
Lucas Warren and
Jordan Plamann drew two walks each.
Henderson State struck first, scoring twice in the top of the third. A leadoff triple put a runner in scoring position right away, with a single and sacrifice fly later in the frame staking HSU to an early 2-0 advantage.
Winona State got both runs back in the bottom of the fifth, with
Tyler Nehring and
Brett Young providing RBI in the inning. A
Ryan Ledvina single and back-to-back walks drawn by Kubera and Warren loaded the bases for the Warriors with no outs. Nehring followed by grounding into a fielder's choice that scored Ledvina, putting WSU on the board for the first time. Young then lined a single into right field that plated Kubera, tying the game at two.
Mike Wasilik earned the start at pitcher for the Warriors, allowing two runs in four innings of work while striking out six.
Nick Ender added two scoreless innings in relief, with Kubera doing the same. Kubera, a freshman playing his first game as a Warrior, struck out three in his two innings of work while earning the victory. Freiburger pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth to collect the save.
Winona State will continue play in Houston on Sunday when it takes on Arkansas Tech at 6 pm.