Box Score West Virginia Wesleyan 15 Wayne State 5 (7 inn.)
The Wayne State College baseball team opened their annual Florida spring break trip Thursday morning with a 15-5 loss to West Virginia Wesleyan in seven innings at the Russ Matt Invitational in Winter Haven, Florida. West Virginia Wesleyan is now 2-8 while WSC drops to 5-5.
The two teams scored either one or two runs in the first four innings until the Bobcats separated themselves from the Wildcats with five runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth.
WSC scored twice in the bottom of the first to match West Virginia Wesleyan for a 2-2 tie after one inning.
Carter Thomas tripled and scored on a
Colin Lynam sacrifice fly for the first run while
Dylan Jutze doubled and later scored for the second run.
The 'Cats took a 3-2 lead in the second with one run when
Kyler Essink singled and scored on a
Cade Lynam sacrifice fly.
West Virginia Wesleyan scored two runs in the third and fourth innings for a 6-3 lead.
WSC cut the Bobcat lead to 6-4 with one run in the bottom of the fourth as
Braden Cannon singled to start the inning and later scored on an error.
A five-run fifth gave West Virginia Wesleyan an 11-4 edge. WSC scored their final run of the game in the bottom of the fifth when Essink walked and crossed home plate on a
Blake Stanley single.
West Virginia came up with four runs in the sixth to close the scoring and finish with a 15-5 win in seven innings.
The Bobcats had 19 hits to 10 for Wayne State. Cannon finished 2 for 3 with a double and run scored while
Nick Ripa was 2 for 2 with a pair of singles. Thomas tripled while Jutze doubled for the other extra base hits for the 'Cats.
Starting pitcher
Brody Sintek (0-3), one of five WSC pitchers, suffered the pitching loss in four innings of work.
Jacob Kneifl,
Kolt Davis,
Nolan Belt and
Logan Walters each saw action in relief.
Wayne State will play a doubleheader Friday against Wayne State University from Michigan at the Russ Matt Invitational starting at 2:15 p.m. Central Time.
