WINONA, MINN. - The Cougars (25-25, 21-14 NSIC) clinched a series sweep over the Winona State Warriors (21-24, 17-18 NSIC) with a 7-5 comeback victory in the series finale on April 27, 2025, at Loughrey Field in Winona, Minn. A five-run seventh inning, sparked by Ben Serie's two-run homer and highlighted by his 200th career hit on a double earlier in the game, propelled the Cougars to their third straight win.
Game Recap: Sioux Falls 7, Winona State 5
Winona State took the lead in the second inning when Payton Beyer's sacrifice fly scored Josh Gullickson, who had reached on an error, giving the Warriors a 1-0 advantage. They extended their lead to 3-0 in the third inning when Alex Berreth connected for a two-run homer.
The Cougars began chipping away in the sixth inning when Isaac Bonner's sacrifice fly brought home Dominic Vogel, trimming the deficit to 3-1. The real damage came in a pivotal seventh inning rally sparked by Winona's defensive miscues.
Noah Christenson crossed the plate when Vogel reached on a shortstop error, making it 3-2. Nolan Drossel then scored when Mitch Iliff reached base on a throwing error by the first baseman, tying the game at 3-3. The Cougars seized the lead when Vogel raced home on a wild pitch that also advanced Iliff to second base. With momentum fully shifted, Ben Serie delivered the decisive blow—a towering two-run home run to left field that scored Iliff and gave Sioux Falls a 6-3 lead.
Winona State responded immediately in their half of the seventh when Cole Fuecker launched a two-run homer, narrowing the gap to 6-5. The Cougars added an insurance run in the eighth when Jaxon Haase scored on another wild pitch, creating the final 7-5 margin.
On the mound, Jake Pruchniak started for Sioux Falls, working 1.1 innings and allowing just one unearned run on one hit while issuing two walks. The bullpen delivered strong relief with Eli Larson bridging the middle innings before Myles Rees contributed 3.0 scoreless frames, surrendering only two hits and one walk while earning the win. Ben Serie yielded two runs on four hits over 2.0 innings, recording two strikeouts. Garrett Oswald secured the save with a scoreless ninth, working around two walks while striking out one.
The Cougars' 10-hit attack was paced by Serie, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Christenson, who finished 2-for-4 with one run scored.
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Up Next
The Cougars host Southwest Minnesota State University at Sioux Falls Stadium for an NSIC doubleheader starting at 1:30 p.m. on April 29th.
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