WAYNE, NE -- Winona State University could not make up for a four-run fifth inning by Wayne State College and lost 6-3 in the opening round play of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament.
The Warriors (21-20) slipped into the loser's bracket of the double-elimination tournament and will play Upper Iowa University, a 5-2 loser to Bemidji State University.
Winona State had taken a 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first inning as Mike Wendland led off with a double and eventually scored on a sacrifice flyball by John Magee.
No. 15-nationally ranked Wayne State (39-10) took the lead for good with two runs in the third and added some insurance with the four runs in the fifth.
WSU's other scoring came with single runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings. Ronnie Olson led off the sixth with a single and came around to score on a ground ball by Mike Brabender, while Sam Henriksen led off the seventh with a double and went on to score on Jared Anderson's base hit.
Ross Hellenbrand started for the Warriors and pitched six innings in suffering the loss.
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