GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Wayne State University baseball team (10-7 overall, 1-0 GLIAC) opened league play on Friday afternoon at Davenport (8-9 overall, 0-1 GLIAC) and the Warriors cruised to a 12-4 victory pounding out 18 hits.  Jared Tobey (St. Clair, Mich.) (3-0) continued to impress on the mound, striking out five and allowing one earned run over six innings to earn his third victory of the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED
- WSU started fast in the first inning as Jacob Finkbeiner (Saline, Mich.) singled to left center field, Brad Baldwin (Troy, Mich. / Bishop Foley Catholic) walked and Justin Kelly (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton Warrenville South) drove in the game's first run with a single up the middle.  Ryan Mergener (Portage, Mich. / Portage Central) extended WSU's lead to 2-0 with an RBI single into center field.  The Panthers answered with a run in the bottom of the second inning with an RBI double after DU put the first two runners on base via a hit-by-pitch and a walk.

- A Finkbeiner walk, a Baldwin single, a Davenport throwing error and an RBI single from Mergener produced WSU's third run of the day in the top of the third inning.  DU responded with a run in the bottom of the third inning to trim the deficit to one, 3-2.  The Warriors scored two runs on four hits in the top of the sixth inning to take a 5-2 lead.  Troy Daring Jr. (Brampton, Ont.) and Finkbeiner both drove in runs during the rally.  

- Mergener singled to begin the top of the seventh inning and stole both second and third base before Tristen Jorah (Clinton Twp., Mich. / Sterling Heights Stevenson) added to the Green & Gold advantage with an RBI single through the left side.   The seventh-inning outburst continued when Finkbeiner drew a bases-loaded walk and a muffed throw allowed two more runs to score, stretching the visitors' lead to 9-2.

- A triple in the bottom of the eighth inning netted DU's third run before the Panthers used a sacrifice fly cut the WSU lead to 9-4.  Kelly doubled to left center to return Wayne State's lead to six, 10-4 and JT Conti (Trenton, Mich.) and Jorah followed with back-to-back RBI singles to give the Warriors a comfortable 12-4 lead.

AT THE PLATE
- Jorah and Mergener led the offense, both going 4-for-6 with two RBI.  Also posting multiple-hit games were Finkbeiner (3-for-3) and Kelly (2-for-4).  All nine Warriors that came to the plate recorded at least one base hit.  WSU also drew seven walks, including three by Finkbeiner as he reached base on six occasions.

ON THE MOUND
- Tobey lowered his season ERA to 2.30 as he stayed unbeaten.  Richard Hovde (Saline, Mich.) worked a perfect inning, striking out the side and Tyler Waldrop (Grand Ledge, Mich.) allowed two earned runs in his inning of action.  Brennan Cox (Taylor, Mich. / Riverview Gabriel Richard) pitched the ninth inning and did not allow a base runner.

UP NEXT
- The typical four-game GLIAC series continues on Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.