Wayne State rallied from a 7-0 deficit in the sixth and 8-7 in the ninth innings, scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth, to cap a wild 9-8 victory over Minnesota Crookston in a Northern Sun Conference neutral site baseball doubleheader Friday afternoon at the Adam LaRoche Baseball Complex in Fort Scott, Kansas. The Wildcats win three of four games in the series and are now 7-1 and 7-1 in the NSIC while the Golden Eagles fall to 2-5 and 1-3 in league play.
Minnesota Crookston controlled the first half of the contest, blasting four home runs in the first six innings to take a 7-0 lead. UMC scored one in the first, three in the third, two in the fourth and one more run in the sixth.
Wayne State started their comeback in the sixth inning scoring four runs on four hits. An RBI single to left field by
Trey Wells scored
Chase Douglas (walk) with the first Wildcat run. Pinch-hitter
Tommy Roland later hit a fielder's choice that brought home
Colin Lynam (single) with the second run.
First baseman
Kaden Young followed with a triple to right field that scored Roland and Wells to reduce the Golden Eagle advantage to 7-4.
The Wildcats came back in the seventh inning and produced three runs to even the contest at 7-7, using just two hits and three walks to produce three runs. Douglas had a one-out walk and scored on another Wells single to make the score 7-5. A bases-loaded walk to
Braden Cannon brought home
Colin Lynam (walk) to trim the lead to 7-6 and a
Kaden Young single to right field scored Wells to knot the score at 7-7.
Minnesota Crookston regained the lead in the top of the ninth with a solo home run to take an 8-7 lead.
In the Wildcat ninth, pinch-hitter
Dylan Jutze singled to left field.
Colin Lynam singled and advanced pinch-runner
Luke Ruhl to third with no outs. Wells was then hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Following a strike out by
Quinn McCafferty, Cannon was hit by a pitch to score Ruhl with the tying run and the next batter
Kaden Young drew a bases loaded, walk-off walk for the dramatic 9-8 come-from-behind victory.
Wayne State had 12 hits in the win, led by Young going 3 for 4 with a triple and four RBI. Wells was 2 for 4 with two RBI and two runs scored while
Colin Lynam went 2 for 4 with three runs scored. Douglas added two singles and two walks, scoring twice in the win.
Eli Crnkovich, the last of five Wildcat pitchers in the game, picked up the win. He worked the final three innings allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts. Starter
Kolt Davis pitched three innings and was charged with four runs.
Brody Sintek,
Dylan Rodgers and
Braden Sweet also worked in relief for the 'Cats.
Wayne State resumes play next weekend in Rolla, Missouri playing a four-game non-conference series at Missouri S&T starting with a nine-inning game Saturday, March 2
nd at 1 p.m.