Wayne State split a Northern Sun Conference baseball doubleheader Saturday afternoon against the University of Mary at the Pete Chapman Baseball Complex as the visiting Marauders captured the opener 10-6 followed by a 10-7 Wildcat victory in the second game.  WSC is now 21-16 and 13-11 in the league while UMary is 20-14 and 13-8 in the NSIC.
            The opener saw Mary use a five-run second inning to gain control and post a 10-6 win.
            Trailing 6-0 after 2 ½ innings, WSC plated two runs in the third taking advantage of two UMary scoring errors to score runs.  Easton Mains singled and scored all the way from first on a throwing error/failed pickoff attempt by the Marauders.  Cam Madsen walked and later scored on a throwing error by the UMary catcher.
            Both teams scored in the fourth to make the score 7-3.  WSC got a solo homer from senior shortstop Nate Cunningham.
            UMary took a 10-3 lead in the sixth with three runs.  WSC got one run back in the bottom of the sixth as Cunningham belted his second homer of the game down the left field line to make the score 10-4.
            The 'Cats added two runs in the seventh to close the scoring as Mains had an RBI triple and Cam Madsen a sacrifice fly to score the final run.
            WSC had 10 hits in the game.  Cunningham was 2 for 4 with a pair of solo homers.  Mains went 2 for 3 with a triple and two runs scored while Max Heard finished 2 for 4 with a pair of singles.
            Freshman starter Tyler Albert (6-2) suffered the pitching loss in 2 1/3 innings work.  Grant Renken and Gil Schroeder also saw action out of the bullpen.
            The second game saw the 'Cats build a 7-1 lead and hold on for a 10-7 victory to salvage a split.
            UMary held a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the third, but WSC tied the game on a Cunningham single.
            The 'Cats grabbed the lead for good with four runs in the fourth to make the score 5-1.  Korey Cozad had a double down the left field line for one run.  Madsen followed with an RBI single.
            Two more runs in the fifth put the 'Cats in front 7-1 as Madsen had a two-run double.
            With the score 7-2 in the seventh, Casey Prychak had an RBI single putting WSC ahead 8-2.
            UMary made the game interesting in the eighth scoring four times to cut the Wildcat advantage to 8-6.
            WSC got two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth for a 10-6 lead as Braden Cannon laced a two-run double to left center field.
            Cannon came on in relief and shut the door on the Marauders to earn the save in the 10-7 win.
            Madsen went 4 for 4 with a double and three RBI to lead Wayne State's 15-hit attack.  Cozad finished 3 for 3 with a double and two runs scored.  Brayden Chaney was 2 for 5 while Heard and Cannon each doubled.
            Starter Braden Sweet (2-1) pitched 5 1/3 innings for the win, allowing two runs on five hits with one strikeout.  Jace Coleman and Kadyn Van Hill worked in relief with Cannon firing the final 1 2/3 innings for the save, his sixth of the season. 
            The Wildcats and Marauders close out their three-game NSIC series Sunday with a nine-inning contest at 12 p.m. at the Pete Chapman Baseball Complex in Wayne.