WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Ending its trip to Florida on a positive note, the Wayne State University baseball team (6-7) defeated the University of Minnesota-Duluth (3-5), 9-8, on Monday afternoon at the RussMatt Invitational.

The Warriors and Bulldogs combined to score 13 runs in the sixth inning. UMD scored six times in the top of the frame, but Wayne State responded with seven runs in the bottom half, and added an insurance run in the seventh.

Paul LaMantia (Tecumseh, Ont./St. Anne's) and Cameron Walker (Clinton Twp., Mich./De La Salle) each drove in a pair of runs as part of the sixth-inning rally.

John Skaggs (Adrian, Mich.) finished 3-for-4, matching his career-high of three hits, with two RBI and a run scored. Phil Swanson (Rochester Hills, Mich./Stoney Creek), who entered in the sixth as a pinch hitter, went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Minnesota-Duluth scored in the top of the first on an RBI single by Bryan Denisen. Wayne State tied it up in the second on an RBI single by Skaggs.

The score remained 1-1 until the sixth inning, out of which WSU emerged with an 8-7 edge. Both teams sent 11 men to the plate, as UMD and WSU totaled five and seven hits, respectively.

Swanson's second single of the inning brought in Michael Wiseman (White Lake, Mich./Lakeland) and gave Wayne State the lead.

The Bulldogs, aided by two WSU errors, put runners on second and third with one out in the top of the seventh, but Matt Mahalak (Wyandotte, Mich./Our Lady of Mt. Carmel) retired the next two batters.

In the bottom of the inning, #J.J. Ciennik# (Waterford, Mich./Mott) was hit by a pitch and came around to score on an RBI double by Brad Guenther (Ann Arbor, Mich./Saline).

Mahalak tossed a scoreless eighth, and David White (Taylor, Mich./Kennedy) picked up his fourth career save despite allowing a two-out RBI single by Josh Threlkeld. White struck out Jake Kluver to end the game.

WSU starter Tyler Loehr (Brighton, Mich.) struck out five over 5.2 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk. Tyler Higgins (Shepherd, Mich./Mt. Pleasant) earned his first collegiate victory in relief.

Wayne State will begin conference play Wednesday at Northwood before opening its home schedule Saturday and Sunday against Ashland.