XENIA, Ohio -- The fourth-seeded Wayne State University baseball team (28-22) opened the 2016 GLIAC Tournament with an impressive 13-5 win over No. 3 seed Malone (26-23) on Thursday night at Grady's Field. The Warriors used 17 hits, including two home runs, to score 13 runs and advance in the winner's bracket to meet fifth-seeded Walsh on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
HOW IT HAPPENED
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Brad Baldwin (Troy, Mich. / Bishop Foley Catholic) singled to left field with one out in the tip of the first inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
JT Conti (Trenton, Mich.) smacked an RBI double into right center to give WSU a 1-0 lead. Malone scored three runs on two hits and a WSU error in the bottom of the second inning. The Warriors responded with three runs on two hits in the top of the third inning.
Griffin Harms (Bingham Farms, Mich. / Birmingham Groves) connected for a ground-rule double to cut MU's lead to one and a bases-loaded walk to
Justin Kelly (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton Warrenville South) tied the game at 3-3. A fielder's choice allowed another run to score and give WSU a one-run lead.
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Chris Horvath (Lakeshore, Ont. / St. Anne Catholic) (4-5) kept the Pioneers quiet in the fourth and fifth innings. Kelly extended WSU's lead to 5-3 with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth inning. The Green & Gold began to pour it on as Conti drove in to two runs with a double to right center, giving WSU a 7-3 lead. Malone scored a run an RBI groundout in the bottom of the sixth inning.
- After a single and a walk,
Ryan Mergener (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Portage Central) crushed a three-run home run to left center. After a single by Baldwin, Harms hit a long ball of his own to left center, extending the lead to 12-4. Mergener added another RBI in the top of the eighth inning with a single to center. Malone scored a run in the bottom of the eighth but WSU would cruise to the opening-round victory.
LEADING THE WARRIORS
- WSU finished with 17 hits including eight extra-base hits.
- Hitting leadoff, Mergener went 4-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored.
- Harms and Conti both drove in three runs, while Conti tallied three doubles.
ON THE MOUND
- Horvath struck out four batters in six innings, while allowing three earned runs on seen hits and two walks.
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Nick Cowen (Tecumseh, Mich.) worked the final three innings and allowed an earned run on two hits and two walks.
UP NEXT
- WSU will play Walsh on Friday at 5:30 p.m. The Cavaliers upset No. 2 seed Ashland in Thursday's tournament opener. The Warriors dropped both regular-season meetings with Walsh. The winner of Friday's contest will advance to Saturday's third round.
