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Ypsilanti, Mich. -- Second seed Wayne State University (32-17, 21-10) fell to third seed Ashland (34-16, 20-12) on Thursday night, 5-2, in the second round of the GLIAC Tournament at Oestrike Stadium.
 
Four WSU errors helped Ashland's offense score five runs on nine hits. The Warriors left 10 runners on base but did turn four double plays in the contest.
 
Alex Pierse (Clinton Township, Mich. / De La Salle) (7-2) lasted 5.1 innings and allowed three earned runs, walked three and struck out two.

The Eagles struck first in their first at bat on a sacrifice fly from Mackenzie Hampshire.
 
The Warriors answered with a run in the bottom of the inning on a Brad Guenther (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Saline) RBI-groundout.
 
Shane Wagner led off the top of the fifth inning with a triple to the wall in right center. Austin Walts spiked a chopper over the head of the WSU third baseman, Eric Cunningham (LaSalle, Ont. / St. Thomas of Villanova) to give Ashland a 2-1 lead.
 
A 6-4-3 double play followed a meeting on the mound with head coach Ryan Kelley to slow the Eagles' momentum and allowed Pierse to head to the dugout.
 
Ashland extended its lead to 5-1 with three runs on three hits and a Wayne State error. Wagner again did damage with a two-run single up the middle. Brock Bates (Delta, Ohio, Evergreen) replaced Pierse with one out in the inning. Bates went 1.1 innings and did not allow a run on two hits.
 
Taylor Horn (Leo, Ind.) replaced Bates to record the final out of the top of the seventh inning. Horn pitched the final 2.1 innings of the game and did not allow a run on two hits.
 
WSU loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning. Guenther drew a walk to cut the deficit to 5-2. That would be all the Warriors could muster as AU recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
 
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Travis Rodery (Wyandotte, Mich. / Roosevelt) led off the inning with a walk but WSU was unable to push any runs across as the Eagles beat Wayne State for the third time this season.
 
Ashland's Jake Baldwin (7-0), the GLIAC Pitcher of the Year, went 6.1 innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits while walking four and striking out three. Zach Botjer recorded his sixth save of the season, going 2.2 innings while striking out three.
 
The Warriors will now play Grand Valley State on Friday at 10:30 a.m. in an elimination game.