LANSING, Mich. -- The third-seeded Wayne State University baseball team (29-20 overall) fell to fourth-seeded Davenport (19-32 overall) 11-2 on Thursday night to open play in the 2024 GLIAC Tournament.  Facing elimination, the Warriors will play top-seeded and 16th-ranked Saginaw Valley State (37-13 overall) on Friday at 3 p.m.

Davenport improved to 18-13 in the all-time series against Wayne State including a 3-0 mark in the GLIAC Tournament.  Thursday, the Panthers scored two runs in the first inning, one in the third, two in the fifth, two in the sixth and four more in the the seventh.  The Warriors' pair of runs came in the home half of the first.

Owen Tuccinardi (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Skyline) brought in Drew Hill (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) with a fielder's choice to the second baseman before Mason McGuire (Lyon Twp., Mich. / Brighton (Mott CC)) also scored after a throwing error by the shortstop attempting a double play.

Karter Fitzpatrick (Monroe, Mich. / Carleton Airport) received the loss (8-3) and was one of four WSU pitchers to see time on the mound.  In 6.1 innings, Fitzpatrick gave up nine earned runs on 12 hits with two walks and seven strikeouts on 133 pitches.

First out of the bullpen, Cam Rosen (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Dexter) lasted two-thirds of an inning with two earned runs on three hits, one free pass and a punchout.  Then, David Thurman (Southfield, Mich. / Detroit Edison) and TJ McAllister (St. Clair Shores, Mich. / South Lake) threw the eighth and ninth frames, respectively.  Thurman surrendered just one hit with one walk while McAllister allowed two hits with a strikeout.

Saginaw Valley State won four of six contests against Wayne State in the season series.  The Cardinals defeated sixth-seeded Purdue Northwest 18-4 in Thursday's second game.