ALLENDALE, Mich. -- The Wayne State University baseball team (19-20 overall, 8-6 GLIAC) won game one of a doubleheader 3-0 at No. 9 Grand Valley State (30-10 overall, 13-6 GLIAC) on Friday before falling in the nightcap by a score of 19-3 in seven innings. The squads will complete their four-game series on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
GAME ONE
Starting pitcher
Gabe Nazelli (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Detroit Country Day) was the highlight as he tossed his first career complete game shutout, improved to 5-2 and held one of the best offenses in the region scoreless. Grand Valley State was unable to scratch a single run across for just the third time this season during Nazelli's seven frames. Nazelli allowed seven hits with one free pass on an economic 78 pitches while facing 27 batters.
Offensively, Wayne State notched one run in the first, another in the fifth and a third in the sixth.
Bennett Hitzelberger (Richmond, Mich.) opened the Warriors' scoring in the initial inning thanks to a groundout to the shortstop that forced in
Jacoby Dale (Roseville, Mich. [Spring Arbor/Henry Ford CC]).
Then four innings later,
Ty Garza (Grosse Ile, Mich. [Barton College]) hit a solo home run to right field, his second of the season. In the sixth, WSU tacked on an insurance run when
Drew Hill (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) doubled in Hitzelberger from second base.
With the triumph, WSU snapped GVSU's eight-game winning streak and handed the Lakers' just their second home defeat of the season (12-2).
GAME TWO
Wayne State led 2-0 after the top of the first inning and scored a third run in the fifth. However, Grand Valley State tallied six scores in the first, one in the second, one in the third, nine in the fifth, and two more in the sixth.
The Warriors' first two runs came in to score when Dale hit a lead-off home run, his second blast of the season, and Hitzelberger singled in
Reagan Paulina (Highland, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central [Oakland]). Fast forward to the fifth where
Noah Murciano (Richmond Hill, Ont. / Bill Crothers S.S. [Sussex County C.C. / Coppin State]) reached on a fielder's choice and Hill touched home plate thanks to an error by the pitcher on the same play.
Starter
Braylon Laroo (Canton, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) suffered his first loss of the year (3-1) after one inning of work. Laroo gave up six runs, only two earned, on six hits. After Laroo,
Nick Baker (Brighton, Mich. [Lansing CC]),
Carson Tehan (LaSalle, Ont. / Sandwich S.S.) and
Oscar Pace (Brighton, Mich. / Hartland) threw the final five frames.