AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- The Wayne State University baseball team (5-6 overall) split a doubleheader against brand new NCAA Division II member Point Park (7-2 overall) on Friday afternoon in The Sunshine State. The Warriors dropped game one 4-2 before bouncing back in the rematch to win 12-6.
GAME ONE
Point Park scored the game's first two runs, one in the top of the first and another in the fourth. Wayne State cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fifth when
Jacoby Dale (Roseville, Mich. [Spring Arbor/Henry Ford CC]) scored on
Gabe Zeldes' bunt single West Bloomfield, Mich. / Detroit Country Day) fielded by the catcher.
The Pioneers tacked on two scores of insurance, one in the sixth and a second in the seventh, for a 4-1 advantage.
Zeldes singled in
Brady Blakita (Canton, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) with a base knock to right field in the bottom of the seventh and two outs on the board. Following back-to-back singles by
Bennett Hitzelberger (Richmond, Mich.) and
Mason McGuire (Lyon Twp., Mich. / Brighton [Mott CC]), the bases were loaded for
Drew Hill (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North), but Hill flew out to right for the game's 21st and final out.
Macio Miller (Kimball, Mich. / Marysville [Jackson CC]) suffered the loss (1-1), but pitched well in five and two-thirds innings. Miller gave up three runs, two earned, on eight hits with only one walk and six strikeouts. Out of the bullpen,
Nick Baker (Brighton, Mich. [Lansing CC]) made his WSU debut with two outs to his name before
Braylon Laroo (Canton, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) also took care of two batters.
GAME TWO
Wayne State's offense broke out for 12 runs on 13 hits, both of which are season highs. The top three Warriors in the lineup combined to go 7-for-9 with eight runs scored, seven RBI, three walks, no strikeouts, one home run (grand slam), and two doubles.
Those three WSU batters in order were Hitzelberger (4-for-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B), Blakita (2-for-3, 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 2 BB) and McGuire (1-for-1, 2 R, 4 RBI, grand slam HR, 1 BB). That blast for McGuire was his first of the season and fifth in the Green & Gold. Wayne State's lead was as big as 11, 12-1 heading into the home half of the fifth.
Gabe Nazelli (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Detroit Country Day) improved to 2-0 with five frames of work. Nazelli surrendered six runs, five earned, on eight hits with only one free pass and five punchouts.
Will DeMasse (Macomb, Mich. / Dakota) threw two nearly perfect innings of relief without a hit allowed, one strikeout and a walk.
Next up, Wayne State will face Malone on Saturday at 3:45 p.m. in one nine-inning contest in Winter Haven, Fla. (Chain of Lakes Field #2).
