The Wayne State University baseball team split a doubleheader against Lewis University on Saturday in Millington, Tennessee. The Warriors dropped the first game but came back to win the second matchup 8-4. The two teams will complete their four-game series on Sunday with a nine-inning game scheduled for noon eastern time.
In the first game, Wayne State scored in the fourth inning when Brayden Crowe drove in Drew Hill with a sacrifice fly to center field. That was the only run for the Warriors, as Lewis responded with two runs in the fifth inning, one in the sixth, and another in the seventh. Wayne State managed three hits from Hill, Tony Hatzigeorgiou, and Rhett Roeser. Hill’s triple set up Crowe’s RBI.
Pitcher Gavin Nash took his first loss of the season despite giving up just two runs—one earned—over five innings, allowing two hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Will DeMasse pitched the final two innings for Wayne State.
In game two, Wayne State started strong by scoring twice in the first inning and adding another run in the third. Hill singled home Alfredo Velazquez and Bennett Hitzelberger to open scoring. Owen Tuccinardi added an RBI single in the third inning.
Lewis tied the score at 3-3 during their half of the fifth inning, but Wayne State regained control in their next at-bat. Hatzigeorgiou drove in Hitzelberger with a single to right field, Hill scored on a passed ball, and Ty Garza doubled home Hatzigeorgiou. In the ninth inning, pinch-hitter Roeser provided insurance by singling home Gabe Zeldes and Garza.
Three players had multi-hit games: Hitzelberger (2-for-3), Hill (2-for-4), and Garza (2-for-4). Starting pitcher Keegan Pulford-Thorpe went four and one-third innings before being relieved by Macio Miller and then Nick Baker. Baker finished out the last four innings to earn his second win of the season.
Wayne State University’s men’s baseball program competes at NCAA Division II level within the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). The team plays its home games in Detroit, Michigan (official website) and won its conference tournament championship in 2010 (GLIAC Tournament title). The athletic teams are known as “the Warriors,” with “W the Warrior” serving as mascot (official website).
