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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Concordia-St. Paul (28-13) was unable to hold onto a 2-1 lead in the ninth inning as Winona State (24-20) scored four runs in the top of the ninth to claim a 5-2 win in the first round of the NSIC / US Bank Tournament at Sioux Falls Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

Concordia will play #3 Minnesota State (40-8), the top seed and regular season champion of the NSIC, at 7 p.m. tonight at Sioux Falls Stadium in an elimination game for both teams. MSU was defeated by the eighth seed Wayne State 2-1 at Karras Park today. Winona State and Wayne State will play tomorrow at 2 p.m.

It was a rematch of last year's NSIC / US Bank Tournament First Round game, when Concordia was seeded fifth and WSU fourth. This year, the seeds were flipped as Concordia assumed the role as home team.

It was also a rematch of starting pitchers. Last year, Tyler Brekke took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and Concordia led 3-0 after six. Chase Blazier stretched longer into the game, working eight innings and WSU rallied against Concordia's bullpen en route to a 9-3 win in St. Cloud.

This year, the story seemed to flip around as well as the seeds, at least until the late innings.

Sophomore right handed starter Tyler Brekke was excellent for the Golden Bears. After allowing a pair of doubles to start the game, Brekke shut down the Warriors the rest of the day.

He didn't allow another hit until the fifth inning, and it was one of just two hits allowed for the rest of his line and he retired the Warriors in order three times over the next seven frames.

And just like Blazier last year, Brekke worked eight strong innings.

Like last year, the visiting pitcher flirted with a no-hitter. Blazier took a no-hitter into the sixth inning when junior Kyle Dalton broke it up with a leadoff single to the opposite field in left.

But the Golden Bears couldn't score him as he was erased on a double play and like last year, the home team trailed after six innings but by a slimmer 1-0 margin.

In the seventh, Concordia picked Brekke up. A leadoff infield single to short by senior Brooks Beilke started the inning. A one out double by Tyler Krekling gave Concordia  runners on second and third as sophomore David Henke sacrificed Beilke home to tie the game and move Krekling to third.

A two-out RBI single by senior Elliot Powell put Concordia ahead 2-1 against the now-invincible Brekke.

In the eighth, Brekke put the Warriors down in order while Blazier was removed after seven innings.

But the parallels would stop there as Winona State's bullpen led by Joseph Kubera would put up two scoreless innings to close the game.

Brekke left after 8.0 innings, allowing just four hits and a walk while striking out two and allowing just the one first inning run. His earned run average dipped to 2.30 and he was in line for his third win.

But Concordia's bullpen couldn't close the door as the Warriors scored four runs in the ninth off right handed reliever Colton Petron and left handed pitcher Zach Rengel. Petron was charged with all four runs and his first loss of the year although Rengel allowed Petron's three inherited runners to score after entering with the bases loaded and one out.

In the bottom of the inning, redshirt freshman Joe Muench delivered a two-out double to keep hopes alive before Kubera closed the door.

Kubera picked up the win, improving to 3-2 with a pair of strikeouts over 2.0 innings.

Blazier went 7.0 innings,allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts in the no decision.