Game 1 - Minnesota Duluth 8 Wayne State 2
Game 2 - Wayne State 15 Minnesota Duluth 14 (11 inn.)
Wayne State rallied from a 7-0 deficit in the sixth inning and needed to hold off a Bulldog rally in the 11th inning to hang on for a wild 15-14 11 inning win to gain a split of a Northern Sun Conference baseball doubleheader with Minnesota Duluth on a chilly Tuesday morning and afternoon Duluth, Minnesota. UMD won the opener 8-2, giving WSC records of 15-14 overall and 9-7 in the NSIC while the host Bulldogs are 14-14 and 8-7 in the league.
The opener saw the Bulldogs score six runs in the first two innings on their way to an 8-2 win over the Wildcats.
After UMD scored three in the first for a 3-0 advantage, WSC got one run back in the top of the second on a
Kyler Essink RBI single that brought home
Colin Lynam, who singled earlier, to reduce the Bulldog lead to 3-1.
The Bulldogs responded quickly with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the second to chase Wildcat starter
Brody Sintek, giving UMD a 6-1 cushion.
UMD added two more runs in the fifth for an 8-1 lead with WSC scoring the final run of the contest in the sixth inning when Essink delivered a sacrifice fly to score
Colin Lynam (infield single) to make the final score 8-2.
Minnesota Duluth held an 11-8 edge in hits over the Wildcats in the opener.
Colin Lynam was 3 for 4 with two runs scored to lead WSC.
Andrew Hanson and
Conner Fiene each doubled while
Alex Logelin,
Chase Douglas and Essink each singled with Essink recording both Wildcat RBIs.
Sintek (3-3) was tagged with the pitching loss in 1 2/3 innings of work, charged with six runs on seven hits. Senior lefthander
Ryan Petersen worked 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief while
Cade Herrmann and
Nick Oden also saw action in relief.
The second game saw the host Bulldogs jump out to another early lead, 7-0 after five innings, but the Wildcats stormed back and survived wild 10th and 11th innings to hang on for a 15-14 slugfest win.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the second for a 2-0 lead and produced four more runs in the second, aided by another two-run blast, for a 6-0 Bulldog lead.
UMD belted a third homer in the fifth for a 7-0 lead before WSC would get on the scoreboard in the sixth with a pair of runs to cut the Bulldog lead to 7-2. Wayne State got three straight hits to open the inning, a single from
Noah Roberts, double by Logelin and a two-run double down the left field line by Hanson.
The score remained 7-2 until the eighth when WSC scored four runs to make the score 7-6.
Chris Cornish had an RBI double and
Cade Lynam an RBI single for key hits in the inning.
In the ninth inning, Hanson doubled down the right field line and with two outs scored on a
Colin Lynam triple to even the score at 7-7.
The game went extra innings and WSC jumped on top early with three runs in the top of the 10th for a 10-7 lead. Roberts and Logelin had RBI triples while Hanson added an RBI single.
But UMD countered with three runs in the bottom of the frame sending the game to the 11th knotted at 10-10.
The 11th inning saw WSC record just one hit while scoring five runs to take a 15-10 lead. The 'Cats took advantage of three walks and a hit batter with Hanson's bases-loaded triple the lone Wildcat hit in the inning.
UMD came back again, using a pair of hit batters, a double and triple to cut the WSC lead to 15-13.
Ryan Petersen, the third Wildcat pitcher of the inning, came on got out of a bases loaded jam with one out and used an infield fly and line out to left field to end the game as WSC hung on for the wild 15-14 win in 11 innings.
Both teams had 18 hits in the game. Hanson ended 6 for 7 with two triples, two doubles and six RBI to pace the 'Cats at the plate.
Colin Lynam was 4 for 4 with a triple while Logelin went 3 for 7 with a double and triple.
Keean Allen, the fourth of six WSC pitchers in the game, picked up the win improving to 3-1 on the year. Petersen worked a scoreless 11th inning to collect the save.
The Wildcats will be on the road this weekend for a three-game NSIC series at #10 Augustana with a doubleheader Friday starting at 4 p.m. followed by a nine-inning game Saturday at 1 p.m.
