HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. -- The Wayne State University baseball team made it three-straight wins to open the 2024 campaign on Saturday taking care of Hillsdale thanks to scores of 7-3 and 10-2.  The Warriors and Chargers will close out their season-opening four-game set on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.

GAME ONE RECAP
Wayne State opened the scoring in game one as Logan Van Sicklen (Waterford Twp., Mich. / Waterford Kettering) scored Tony Hatzigeorgiou (Oxford, Mich.) with a groundout to second and Logan Tobel (Brighton, Mich. / Hartland) pushed across Mason McGuire (Lyon Twp., Mich. / Brighton (Mott CC)) with a single to left.

Hillsdale took its only lead of the series so far scoring three runs in the third.  The bottom of that frame, the Warriors punched right back as Bennett Hitzelberger (Richmond, Mich.) knotted the score up at 3-3 with a solo home run to right, the first of his career.

In the fourth, Reagan Paulina (Highland, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central (Oakland)) made it a 4-3 game hitting a sacrifice fly to left scoring McGuire.  Then, in the fifth, WSU stretched its advantage to three when Jacoby Dale's (Roseville, Mich. (Spring Arbor/Henry Ford CC)) flyout to right brought in Drew Hill (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) and McGuire doubled in Hitzelberger.

Wayne State tacked on a seventh run for good measure in the sixth when Tobel blasted a shot to right, his fourth as a Warrior and first since 2022.

On the bump, Griffin Kilander (Livonia, Mich. / Stevenson) won his season debut behind a complete game with three earned runs allowed on five hits, three walks and eight strikeouts.

GAME TWO RECAP
In the nightcap, the Wayne State bats stayed hot as eight different Warriors registered a hit including three with multiple knocks in Hitzelberber (3-for-5, 1 R, 3 RBI), Hatzigeorgiou (2-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 2B) and Kyle Ray (Woodhaven, Mich.) (2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI).

WSU notched three runs in the first, two in the third, one in the fourth, two in the fifth, one in the sixth and another in the eighth.  The Warriors never led by fewer than two runs after the first inning and their pitching had a lot to say about that too.

Seth Marano (Canton, Mich. / Lansing CC) threw eight innings while surrendering two runs, only one earned, on four hits to go with two free passes and three punchouts.  In relief, TJ McAllister (St. Clair Shores, Mich. / South Lake) tossed a scoreless ninth with one strikeout.