CINCINNATI -- The Wayne State University baseball team (8-1 overall) continued its winning ways on Friday afternoon at Xavier's Hayden Field, dispatching in-region foe Findlay (4-5 overall) by a final score of 9-2. The two squads will continue their four-game set with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon.
Wayne State's first three scores each came in via the home run.
Owen Tuccinardi (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Skyline) hit his team-leading fourth blast in the first, a solo shot down the left field line. The next inning,
Brayden Crowe (Brighton, Mich. / Hartland) followed suit for the first time in his career, but of the two-run variety to left, also scoring
Rhett Roeser (New Baltimore, Mich. / Warren De La Salle).
Following Findlay's initial run in the home half of the second, the Warriors got right back to work in the top of the third. Tuccinardi tripled (sixth of career) in
Bennett Hitzelberger (Richmond, Mich.) and
Drew Hill (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) forced in Tuccinardi thanks to a sacrifice fly to center.
WSU wasn't done there, though, as four more runs would come in over the course of the sixth and seventh frames. In that aforementioned sixth inning,
Tony Hatzigeorgiou (Oxford, Mich.) touched home plate following a wild pitch. One frame later, Hill singled in Hitzelberger and Hatzigeorgiou touched em all with a two-run blast to left, while also scoring
Gabe Zeldes (West Bloomfield, Mich. / Detroit Country Day).
The Oilers tacked on their second and final run in the ninth, but the Green and Gold were able to run away with the seven-run victory.
On the mound,
Will Lowery (Grosse Ile, Mich. [Kalamazoo Valley C.C.]) improved to 3-0 after another strong five-inning performance. Lowery gave up just one earned run on two hits with three walks and five strikeouts on 74 pitches.
First out of the bullpen,
Nick Baker (Brighton, Mich. [Lansing C.C.]) was nearly spotless. Baker retired five of the six batters he faced with two punchouts on only 19 throws. The redshirt junior's season ERA is down to 1.04 through 8.2 innings pitched.
The third Warrior to toe the rubber was
TJ McAllister (St. Clair Shores, Mich. / South Lake), who ousted all five batters faced. McAllister walked none and struck out one on 18 pitches.
Lastly,
Carson Tehan (LaSalle, Ont. / Sandwich S.S.) handled the ninth with one earned run, two hits and one free pass on 20 throws.