MILLINGTON, Tenn. -- The Wayne State University baseball team (6-1 overall) dropped game one of a doubleheader to Lewis (2-5 overall) on Saturday, but bounced back in the nightcap for an 8-4 victory. The Warriors and Flyers will conclude their four-game series on Sunday with a nine-inning affair beginning at noon eastern time.
GAME ONE
Wayne State struck first in the bottom of the fourth inning when
Brayden Crowe (Brighton, Mich. / Hartland) scored
Drew Hill (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) with a sacrifice fly to center field.
However, that would account for all of the Warriors' scoring as Lewis countered with two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and another in the seventh of a seven-run affair.
WSU's three hits came from three different players including Hill,
Tony Hatzigeorgiou (Oxford, Mich.) and
Rhett Roeser (New Baltimore, Mich. / Warren De La Salle). Only one of which went for extra bases, Hill's triple before Crowe brought him in two batters later.
Gavin Nash (Howell, Mich. / Hartland) fell to 0-1 on the season but was effective in his five innings pitched. Nash gave up two runs, one earned, on just two hits with one walk and three strikeouts.
Will DeMasse (Macomb, Mich. / Dakota) threw the final two frames while surrendering two earned runs on four hits with no free passes and one punchout.
GAME TWO
Wayne State again broke the seal in the day's rematch notching two runs in the first and another in the third. In the opening inning, Hill singled in a pair,
Alfredo Velazquez (Livonia, Mich. / Brother Rice [Michigan]) and
Bennett Hitzelberger (Richmond, Mich.).
Two frames later,
Owen Tuccinardi (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Skyline) singled in Hitzelberger.
Lewis was able to tie up the ledger at 3-3, all of which came in the fifth, but the Warriors punched right back.
In the sixth, Hatzigeorgiou forced in Hitzelberger with a base knock to right field, Hill came in on a passed ball, and
Ty Garza (Grosse Ile, Mich. / Grosse Ile [Barton College]) doubled in Hatzigeorgiou.
The Flyers got one back in the sixth before the pinch-hitter Roeser singled in both
Gabe Zeldes (West Bloomfield, Mich. / Detroit Country Day) and Garza in the ninth as insurance.
The offense as a whole included three multi-hit performances, Hitzelberger (2-for-3, 3 R, 1 BB), Hill (2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBI) and Garza (2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI).
Keegan Pulford-Thorpe (Aurora, Ont. / Newmarket [Central Florida / Georgia Highlands College]) lasted four and one-third innings before giving way to the bullpen. Pulford-Thorpe allowed three earned runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
First in relief,
Macio Miller (Kimball, Mich. / Marysville [Jackson C.C.]) made his first appearance of the season, but retired just two batters thanks to 4-6-3 double play to finish the fifth.
Nick Baker (Brighton, Mich. [Lansing C.C.]) then took care of the last four frames for the pitching victory and improved to 2-0. Baker gave up one earned run on just two hits with one free pass and one punchout.
