EASTLAKE, Ohio -- The 13th-ranked Wayne State University baseball team (22-5 overall) took a break from GLIAC play on Tuesday for a game at Lake Erie (11-14 overall) and the Warriors won 11-9 in 13 innings in a game that was tied on seven occasions and featured a total of 11 pitchers with 423 pitches thrown.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Three two-out walks loaded the bases in the top of the first inning but Wayne State was unable to score any runs.  A two-out single and a triple gave the Storm a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.  Back-to-back singles from Zach Girard (Sleepy Hollow, Ill. / Dundee Crown) and Jacob Badalamenti (Saline, Mich.) led to an RBI single from Jacob Finkbeiner (Saline, Mich.) to tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the second.

Lake Erie took a 2-1 lead in the bottom after a leadoff triple plus an RBI single but a line drive double play helped the Warriors limit the damage.  

GLIAC Player of the Week Justin Kelly (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton Warrenville South) tied the game at 2-2 with a solo home run to center field in the third inning.  It marked his 31st career home run, brining him five shy of matching the program record, currently held by Jon Weisman (36 / 2003-07).  Michael Toth (Northville, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) singled to left field before Girard walked and Badalamenti followed with an RBI single to put the Green & Gold on top 3-2.

The back-and-forth contest continued in the bottom of the third inning as LEC tied the game at 3-3 on an RBI single from Nathan Erzen.  Tristen Jorah (Clinton Twp., Mich. / Sterling Heights Stevenson) sent a single through the left side in the top of the fourth inning and Kelly gave WSU a 4-3 lead with an RBI double.

A bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the fifth inning allowed Lake Erie to tie the game at 4-4 but Richard Hovde (Saline, Mich.) was called on out of the bullpen and struck out his first batter before using a 4-6-3 double play to end the rally.  Wayne State loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the sixth inning and Finkbeiner broke the tie with a two-run single into right field.  MacLean drew a walk to plate WSU's seventh run of the night.

A three-run blast by LEC's Nigel Williams in the bottom of the sixth inning tied the game at 7-7.  Hunter DeLanoy (Hartland, Mich.) homered to lead off the seventh inning over the wall in right center, putting WSU on top 8-7.  However, the pattern continued as the Storm used a fielding error in the bottom of the frame to tie the game at 8-8.

In the top of the eighth inning, WSU used a hit, a walk and an error to regain the lead, 9-8.  Lake Erie put a runner at third base with two outs but Jack Schmidt (Fishers, Ind. / Indianapolis Cathedral) was able to keep the one-run lead intact.

The Storm started the bottom of the ninth inning with a double into left center and advanced to third base on a failed pickoff attempt by Kelly behind the plate.  A sac fly to center field allowed LEC to tie the game at 9-9.  LEC nearly won the game in the bottom of the 12th inning with a double into left center but the runner was thrown out at home for the third and final out.

A dropped fly ball in center field allowed DeLanoy to start the 13th inning on third base and the Storm elected to intentionally walk Kelly before a conventional walk to Toth loaded the bases with no outs.  Noah Miller (Macomb, Mich. / University Liggett) reached via a fielder's choice as WSU took a 10-9 advantage.  Badalamenti extended WSU's lead to 11-9 with an RBI single into right field.  Schmidt retired the side in order in the bottom of the 13th inning to secure the win for WSU.

AT THE PLATE
Finkbeiner, DeLanoy and Badalamenti all finished with three hits, while Finkbeiner, DeLanoy, Kelly and Badalamenti all drove in a pair of runs.  As a team, WSU tallied 16 hits and 16 walks.

ON THE MOUND
Brandon Williams (Sterling Heights. Mich. / Stevenson) started and worked the first three innings, allowing three runs on seven hits before Addison Pawelek (Shelby Twp., Mich. / De La Salle) worked the fourth inning and was touched for a run on four hits and two walks.  Hovde was effective in his inning and a 1/3 of action as he did not allow a baserunner, while striking out two batters.  Brendan Wetmore (Westland, Mich. / John Glenn) allowed four runs in two innings.  Schmidt earned his first win of the season by allowing an unearned run over five and 2/3 innings and setting down nine batters via strikeout.

UP NEXT
The Warriors will return to Detroit for back-to-back home league series beginning with Friday at 3:30 p.m. against Purdue Northwest.