LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Wayne State University baseball team (9-13 overall) dropped games two and three of a four-game set at 20th-ranked Florida Southern (22-5 overall) on Saturday by scores of 8-6 and 13-5, respectively.  The two teams will conclude their series on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.

GAME ONE
Neither team scored until the bottom of the third inning when Florida Southern struck first to make it 1-0.

In the top of the fourth for Wayne State, Caleb Sanders (Eastpointe, Mich. / Detroit Edison Public School Academy [Dayton]) brought in Gabe Zeldes (West Bloomfield, Mich. / Detroit Country Day) with a single up the middle.

With the score knotted up at 1-1, the Mocs tallied a pair of runs in the fifth to regain the advantage, 3-1.

The Warriors took their first lead of the game in the sixth thanks to a three-run frame. Tony Hatzigeorgiou (Oxford, Mich.) hit a solo home run to left field, his first of the season, before Mason McGuire (Lyon Twp., Mich. / Brighton [Mott CC]) singled in both Zeldes and Ty Garza (Grosse Ile, Mich. / Grosse Ile [Barton College]).

However, the home team notched the game's next five scores including one in the sixth, another in the seventh and three more in the eighth.

Trailing 8-4 in the ninth, the visitors were able to make things interesting.  Bennett Hitzelberger (Richmond, Mich.) led off with a base knock down the left field line and one out later, Owen Tuccinardi (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Skyline) scored the both of them with a two-run blast to left.  Tuccinardi has now gone deep twice as a sophomore.

With one out recorded, Hatzigeorgiou singled down the right field line before he was retired on Brady Blakita's (Canton, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) fielder's choice to the first baseman.  Then Drew Hill (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) doubled, setting up runners on second and third for Garza.  However, Garza grounded out to third for the game's 27th and final out.

Gabe Nazelli (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Detroit Country Day) suffered his first setback of the season (3-1) after six and two-thirds innings pitched.  Nazelli gave up five runs, four earned, on seven hits with four walks and two strikeouts.

In relief, Carson Tehan (LaSalle, Ont. / Sandwich S.S.) set down one batter before Coy Plummer (New Hudson, Mich. / South Lyon) dealt a perfect frame.

GAME TWO
Wayne State scored all five of its runs in the first two innings to go up 5-0.  In the first, Hitzelberger doubled in McGuire before Hill homered in both himself and Hitzelberger.  That bomb gave Hill three for the season and was his first since Feb. 25 against Ohio Dominican.

Two more Warriors crossed home plate in the second as Hill and Tuccinardi drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks.

However Florida Southern proceeded to score the game's ensuing 13 runs including one in the third, five in the fourth, another in the fifth, four in the sixth, and two in the eighth.

Macio Miller (Kimball, Mich. / Marysville [Jackson CC], Braylon Laroo (Canton, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) and Nick Baker (Brighton, Mich. [Lansing CC]) each saw time on the mound for the Green & Gold.  Miller was saddled with the loss, his second of the season as he's 2-2 through five appearances.