AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- The Wayne State University baseball team (2-3) began play in the RussMatt Invitational on Tuesday with a doubleheader against Saint Joseph's (4-4) and Saint Ambrose (4-6) at Lake Myrtle Park Main Field.

WSU scored first in game one but defensive mistakes allowed SJC to win, 7-4, and came back in game two for an 11-6 victory over Saint Ambrose. The Warriors entered with a 29-17 all-time record in the event with this year being the sixth time WSU has participated.

Game One (L, 4-7)
The Warriors put the pressure on the Pumas early with a run in the top of the first inning. Justin Sherman (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Pioneer) reached base via a hit-by-pitch and then forced the issue as he stole second and third base. A wild pitch allowed Sherman to score and stake WSU to a 1-0 lead.

SJC responded in the bottom of the first inning with a lead off triple followed by an infield single to tie the game at 1-1.

Cole Clifton (Sterling Heights. Mich. / De La Salle) drew a walk and then stole second to begin the top of the third inning. Griffin Harms (Bingham Farms, Mich. / Birmingham Groves) drove an RBI single into right field to give WSU a 2-1 advantage.

Saint Joseph's added three runs in the bottom of the third inning aided by two WSU errors and extended its lead to 5-2 with a run on a passed ball in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Harms led off the sixth inning with a triple and scored on Ryan Mergener's (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Portage Central) first career hit and RBI to cut the deficit to two, 5-3.

However, back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the sixth inning gave the Pumas a 6-3 lead. Chris Horvath (Lakeshore, Ont. / St. Anne Catholic) replaced Kyle Zimmerman (Frankfort, Mich.) on the mound to begin the bottom of the seventh inning. Horvath allowed SJC to score its seventh run of the game on a single after an infield single, back-to-back wild pitches and a walk. A 4-6-3 double play ended the frame and put a stop to the potential big inning.

WSU added a run in the top of the ninth inning on an SJC throwing error allowing pinch runner Kevin Moore (Detroit, Mich. / Renaissance) to come around to score.

Zimmerman tossed six innings and allowed four earned runs on 11 hits while striking out eight. Horvath pitched the final two innings and allowed one earned run and tallied two strikeouts.

Game Two (W, 11-6)
An RBI double from Harms and a sacrifice fly from Zimmerman gave WSU an early 2-0 lead after one complete inning

Saint Ambrose used three hits and two Warrior errors to score four runs in the top of the second inning. Tyler Tomspon (Farmington, Mich) started the game and tossed two innings while allowing two earned runs.

The Warriors trimmed the deficit to one with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sherman proved to be the offense's catalyst in the fifth inning as he walked, advanced to second on a single and stole third base. Daniel Peake (Mississauga, Ont. / Lorne Park) provided the game-tying RBI with a single into right field. A sacrifice fly RBI from Josh Arndt (Sterling Heights. Mich. / Oxford) put WSU on top 5-4.

The Green & Gold scored six runs in the sixth inning to take an 11-4 lead. SAU committed an error in the frame to aid the rally. Peake highlighted the inning with a two-run double.

The Fighting Bees plated two runs in the seventh inning to cut WSU's lead to 11-6. The Warriors used nine pitchers in total and Jake Davis (Rochester, Mich. / Stoney Creek) garnered his first win of the season as he pitched a scoreless fifth inning. Also throwing scoreless frames were Brandyn Hall (Sylvania, Ohio / Northview), Christian Bilkovic (West Bloomfield, Mich.), JT Conti (Trenton, Mich.), Mike Murley (Royal Oak, Mich. / Bishop Foley Catholic), Jared Tobey (St. Clair, Mich. / St. Clair) and Joey Hartfelder (Orchard Lake, Mich. / West Bloomfield).

Peake finished 3-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored. The top four hitters in the Warrior lineup (Sherman, Randy Kuzdak, Harms and Zimmerman) combined to go 8-for-19 with three RBI and six runs scored.

WSU will play Wayne State (Neb.) today at 3:30 PM as it continues play in the 2015 RussMatt Invitational.