KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Wayne State University baseball team (9-7 overall) concluded its Spring Break trip to Florida with two games on Friday.  The Warriors topped Mansfield (4-7 overall) 11-9 in game one before failing to avenge an 11-7 Slippery Rock (7-5 overall) victory on March 11th with a 9-8 defeat in game two.

GAME ONE vs. MANSFIELD (W, 11-9)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Mountaineers scored first with a run on three hits in the bottom of the first inning.  WSU tied the game in the top of the third inning with an RBI groundout from Jacob Finkbeiner (Saline, Mich.).  Mansfield answered with four runs on five hits in the bottom of the third inning to take a 5-1 lead.

- Josh Blaszczak (Brownstown, Mich. / Riverview Gabriel Richard) produced a run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth inning, trimming the deficit to three.  Following a Brad Baldwin (Troy, Mich. / Bishop Foley Catholic) double in the top of the fifth inning, Justin Kelly (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton Warrenville South) tripled home a run and a Ryan Mergener (Portage, Mich. / Portage Central) sac fly pulled WSU within one at 5-4.  MU scored twice on a hit and a WSU error in the bottom of the fifth inning.

- An RBI groundout from Baldwin cut MU's advantage to 7-5 and a four-run seventh inning propelled the Warriors to a 9-7 lead.  Michael Toth (Northville, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) doubled home two runs, while Blaszczak and Finkbeiner also collected RBI during the outburst.  In the eighth inning, Wayne State added to its lead with a pair of runs as Tristen Jorah (Clinton Twp., Mich. / Sterling Heights Stevenson) scored on a wild pitch and Jack Schmidt (Fishers, Ind. / Indianapolis Cathedral) drove in a run with an RBI single.

AT THE PLATE
- Finkbeiner, Jorah, Patrick Adams (Detroit, Mich. / De La Salle) and Toth all finished with two-hit games, while Adams scored three runs.  Finkbeiner, Toth and Blaszczak drove in two runs a piece.

ON THE MOUND
- Josh Nelson (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Saline) started and allowed six earned runs on nine hits and two walks.  Hunter Brown (St. Clair Shores, Mich. / Lakeview) (1-1) was called on from the bullpen and worked four innings, allowing two unearned runs to earn his first victory of the season.

GAME TWO vs. SLIPPERY ROCK (L, 8-9)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Warriors scored twice on three hits in the top of the first inning.  Finkbeiner sent a one-out single into center field and Baldwin also singled.  Mergener doubled to right field, giving WSU a 2-0 lead.  Slippery Rock responded with a run in the bottom of the first after a lead-off triple.  After the first two batters struck out for WSU in the top of the second inning, Zach Girard (Sleepy Hollow, Ill. / Dundee Crown) was hit by a pitch and stole second base.  Devin Rose (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Orchard Lake St. Mary's) doubled home a run before Finkbeiner gave the Green & Gold a 4-1 lead with another RBI double.

- A lead off home run by The Rock trimmed WSU's lead to 4-2 and another solo blast pulled SRU within a run at 4-3.  Baldwin tripled home a run in the top of the seventh inning and Kelly extended the lead to 6-3 with a sacrifice fly.  However, SRU scored four runs on three hits and an error in the bottom of the seventh inning.  Most of the damage being done with a bases-clearing triple.

- Girard started the top of the eighth inning with a single up the middle and stole his second base of the day.  He later advanced to third base on an error and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 7-7.  A WSU error and a SRU base hit produced a run for The Rock in the bottom of the eighth inning, giving the visitors an 8-7 lead.  Mergener tied the game in the ninth inning with a solo home run to left field.  WSU's third error of the day gave SRU a baserunner to begin the bottom of the ninth inning and three singles would lead to the game-winning run.

AT THE PLATE
- Finkbeiner went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.  The trio of Baldwin, Mergener and Adams finished with two hits, while Mergener led the roster with three RBI.

ON THE MOUND
- Jared Tobey (St. Clair, Mich.) struck out eight batters over six and a 1/3 innings, allowing six earned runs and walking three batters.  Richard Hovde (Saline, Mich.) allowed an unearned run in 2/3 of an inning before Taylor Horn (Leo, Ind.) (1-1) worked the final inning and a 1/3, allowing an unearned run.

UP NEXT
- Wayne State will open league play with a four-game series at Davenport on Friday with game one schedule for 4:00 p.m. in Grand Rapids, Mich at the Farmers Athletic Complex.