AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- The Wayne State University baseball program (9-3 overall) lost to Gannon (10-3 overall), 10-6 on Saturday morning. The Warriors are participating in the RussMatt Invitational in the Lakeland area.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Golden Knights set the tone early with five runs on three hits in the top of the first inning, with all five runs coming with two outs. The rally started with a two-run home run. However, the Warriors did not go away and scored four runs on three hits and a GU error in the bottom of the third inning.
Michael MacLean (Bloomfield Hills, Mich. / Country Day / The Lawrenceville School) started the scoring with an RBI single into center field and
Justin Kelly (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton Warrenville South) drew a bases loaded walk. A fielding error allowed WSU's third run to score and a sacrifice fly from
CJ Drogosch (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) trimmed the deficit to 5-4.
Wayne State seized the momentum after a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fourth inning and tied the game at 5-5 on a MacLean RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning. Gannon took a 6-5 lead with a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch but
Addison Pawelek (Shelby Twp., Mich. / De La Salle) rebounded and stranded three runners to limit the damage.
Jacob Finkbeiner (Saline, Mich.) doubled home
Ryan Foley (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Saline) in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game at 6-6.
Once again, GU leaned on its offense and a two-run blast in the top of the seventh inning gave the Knights an 8-6 advantage. Gannon added runs in the eighth and ninth innings to secure the victory.
AT THE PLATE
Finkbeiner raised his batting average to .533 by going 4-for-5 with an RBI an two runs scored. MacLean drove in two runs with three hits, while
Tristen Jorah (Clinton Twp., Mich. / Sterling Heights Stevenson), Drogosch and Foley each finished with two hits.
ON THE MOUND
Brennan Cox (Taylor, Mich. / Riverview Gabriel Richard) allowed five runs in his inning of action before Pawelek was solid out of the bullpen, allowing a run over five innings to go with three strikeouts.
Brandon Williams (Sterling Heights. Mich. / Stevenson) (0-1) allowed two runs in a 1/3 of an inning to collect the loss.
Nick Cowen (Tecumseh, Mich.) pitched an inning and a 1/3 before
Dustin Renfroe (West Bloomfield, Mich. / Brother Rice / U of D Jesuit) collected the final four outs. The final two hurlers did not allow an earned run.
UP NEXT
Wayne State will have an off day on Sunday before returning to the diamond on Monday against Winona State at 5:00 p.m.