WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- The Wayne State University baseball team (4-5 overall) began play in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational on Thursday against a familiar foe in Ashland (6-5 overall).  With the score tied 7-7 heading to the bottom of the sixth inning, the Eagles' started the half frame with back-to-back home runs to lead 9-7, which is where the score stood until the end.

Four batters into the contest, Wayne State struck first when Owen Tuccinardi (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Skyline) singled in Bennett Hitzelberger (Richmond, Mich.) on a base knock to left field.

However, Ashland countered with two runs in the home half of the first and another in the second to lead by two, 3-1.

Come the top of the third, five Warriors touched home plate tilting the affair back in their favor, 6-3.  Tony Hatzigeorgiou (Oxford, Mich.) got the party started with a bases-loaded double to left center that forced in Mason McGuire (Lyon Twp., Mich. / Brighton [Mott CC]), Tuccinardi and Reagan Paulina (Highland, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central [Oakland]).

The very next batter Logan Van Sicklen (Waterford Twp., Mich. / Waterford Kettering) allowed both Hatzigeorgiou and himself to jog around the bases.  Van Sicklen smacked his team-leading third blast of the season, a two-run shot to left center.

The day's third lead change came after Ashland plated a run in the third before three more in the fourth.

Trailing 7-6, McGuire opened the top of the sixth with a double to left center.  Drew Hill (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) moved him over to third with a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher before Tuccinardi brought McGuire in on a fly ball to center, and the score was knotted up for a third time.

In the bottom of the sixth though, the Eagles' Sean Krueckeberg and Sam Witt both touched em all with solo home runs.  From there until the end of the game, the Warriors advanced a pair of runners to second base, but no further, with five strikeouts at the dish.

Gavin Nash (Howell, Mich. / Hartland) made the start with four innings pitched while giving up seven earned runs on eight hits.  Nash struck out four batters and walked three.  TJ McAllister (St. Clair Shores, Mich. / South Lake) suffered the loss (1-1) with two earned runs surrendered on three hits.

Neither Carson Tehan (LaSalle, Ont. / Sandwich S.S.) nor Ethan Getting (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Portage Northern [Purdue Northwest]) allowed a run in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively.  Tehan punched out a pair with one hit to his name while Getting struck out two, walked two and also gave up a hit.

Next up, Wayne State will play Point Park in a doubleheader on Friday with game one set to begin at 10 a.m. in Auburndale.