WINONA, MINN. - The Cougars (24-25, 20-14 NSIC) secured a doubleheader sweep over the Winona State Warriors (21-23, 17-17 NSIC) on April 26, 2025, at Loughrey Field in Winona, Minn., winning Game 1 8-6 and Game 2 12-5. The Cougars' hot bats, amassing 26 hits across both games, and strong pitching propelled them to victory.

Game 1: Sioux Falls 8, Winona State 6

The Cougars struck first in their opening contest against Winona State, building an early advantage behind a five-run outburst through two innings. Ben Serie crossed home on Jaxon Haase's RBI single in the first before a second-inning barrage featured three consecutive RBI doubles from Dominic Vogel, Mitch Iliff, and Serie, complemented by Isaac Bonner's run-scoring single.

Winona State answered with a two-run homer in the second, but Nolan Drossel immediately countered with an RBI single in the third to maintain Sioux Falls' commanding lead at 6-2. The Warriors mounted a challenge with three runs across the third and fourth innings, narrowing the margin to 6-5 before the Cougars secured critical insurance runs—Iliff driving in a run with a sixth-inning single and Ryan Gouldin scoring on a wild pitch in the seventh.

Despite surrendering a solo home run in the seventh, Sioux Falls' pitching staff held firm for the victory. Jake Ammann (5-4) delivered a standout performance with 11 strikeouts across six innings, allowing five runs on six hits. Jace Coleman closed out the final frame for his third save of the season.

Key Hitters:

• Nolan Drossel: 3-for-4, 1 RBI, 2 runs
• Ryan Gouldin: 3-for-4, 2 runs
• Mitch Iliff: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 run, 2 2B

Key Pitchers:

• Jake Ammann: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 11 K (Win)
• Jace Coleman: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K (Save)

Game 2: Sioux Falls 12, Winona State 5

Sioux Falls dominated from the outset in the nightcap, jumping to a 6-0 advantage with consecutive three-run innings. The Cougars capitalized on Winona State miscues and timely hitting, highlighted by Ryan Gouldin's two-RBI single.

After the Warriors scratched across a run in the third, Sioux Falls unleashed an overwhelming six-run fifth inning that effectively sealed the outcome. The onslaught featured RBI singles from Jackson Yeager and Nolan Drossel, back-to-back triples by Dominic Vogel and Mitch Iliff, and Isaac Bonner's RBI double—pushing the lead to an insurmountable 12-1.

Though Winona State managed four late runs to avoid a run-rule defeat, they never threatened the Cougars' substantial advantage.

Logan Anderson (5-5) earned the victory with five strong innings, surrendering just one unearned run on three hits while striking out five. The bullpen tandem of Jonny Checheris and Kaleb Klinkhammer provided quality relief, combining for 2.1 scoreless innings to maintain control.

Key Hitters:

• Mitch Iliff: 3-for-6, 3 RBI, 3 runs, 1 3B
• Dominic Vogel: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 3 runs, 1 3B

Key Pitchers:

• Logan Anderson: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 5 K (Win)
• Jonny Checheris: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
• Kaleb Klinkhammer: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Up Next

The Cougars face the Winona State Warriors in the series finale on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at Loughrey Field in Winona, Minn., with a single game scheduled for noon, aiming to clinch the series and bolster their NSIC Tournament seeding.