Game 1 - Nebraska-Kearney 12 Wayne State 10
Game 2 - Wayne State 9 Nebraska-Kearney 4
Sophomore lefthander Tadd Johansen pitched a complete game win for Wayne State to help the Wildcat baseball team earn a split at Nebraska-Kearney in non-conference college baseball played Friday afternoon in Kearney. The host Lopers won the first game 12-10 while Johansen's complete game win carried the Wildcats to a 9-4 victory in the second game of the doubleheader. UNK is now 3-1 on the season while WSC is 1-3.
The first game saw the host Lopers score twice in the bottom of the sixth inning to snap a 10-10 tie as UNK won a 12-10 slugfest over the Wildcats. With the score tied 2-2 after three innings, WSC plated five runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 7-2 lead. A three-run homer by Mike Bisenius highlighted the inning while Braulio Acosta and Nick Bidroski added run-scoring singles. UNK rallied and scored three in the fourth and took the lead with five runs in the fifth for a 10-7 lead after five innings.
WSC tied the score in the top of the sixth at 10-10 by scoring three runs as Bisenius produced a two-run single and later scored when C.J. Nolen reached on an error. However, UNK came back in the bottom of the sixth and scored two runs to grab the 12-10 victory.
UNK had 15 hits to 12 for WSC in the contest. Mike Bisenius was 2 for 4 with a homer, five RBI's and two runs scored to lead the Wildcats at the plate. Nick Bidroski was 3 for 4 with three singles and two runs scored while Braulio Acosta and Michael Samuel each added two hits for WSC offensively.
Reliever Josh Nielsen (0-1) suffered the pitching loss, allowing two runs (one earned) in the sixth inning on three hits with one walk. Starter Josh Nelsen worked the first 3 2/3 innings, allowing five runs (two earned) on seven hits with five strikeouts. Reid Lancaster pitched the next two-thirds of an inning and was charged with five runs on five hits. Matthew Herrick also pitched for WSC, working the final two-thirds of an inning with one strikeout and one walk.
The second game saw Tadd Johansen, a sophomore from Elkhorn, pitch a complete-game to lift the Wildcats in their first win of the season, a 9-4 victory. He allowed 11 hits and four runs over seven innings with four strikeouts and one walk.
Offensively, WSC had 11 hits and scored three runs in the fourth followed by two more in the fifth and sixth innings each to pull away for the win. The Wildcats opened the scoring in the first inning with two runs on a bases loaded walk to Justin Beranek and a sacrifice fly by Slade Bolles. After UNK tied the score with two in the bottom of the first, WSC took the lead for good with a three-run fourth inning as Braulio Acosta had a two-run single along with a Jake Ritzdorf RBI double to score three runs.
The Wildcats added two runs in the fifth thanks to RBI singles from Justin Beranek and C.J. Nolen and WSC added two insurance runs in the sixth inning on RBI singles by Nick Bidroski and Justin Beranek to give the Wildcats the 9-4 win.
Eight of nine starters had at least one hit to lead a consistent Wayne State hitting attack. Acosta, Beranek and Bidroski each recorded two singles apiece with Beranek driving in three runs while Mike Bisenius and Jake Ritzdorf each produced doubles in the win. Patrick Burkhart, Slade Bolles and C.J. Nolen each singled for the Wildcats.
Wayne State is scheduled to play again on Saturday, March 5th when the Wildcats face Wisconsin-Parkside and defending NCAA Division II national champion Southern Indiana at the Southern Indiana Dunn Hospitality Baseball Tournament in Evansville, Indiana.
