MIDLAND, Mich. -- The 18th-ranked Wayne State University baseball team (21-5 overall, 6-2 GLIAC) finished its weekend at Northwood (17-10 overall, 3-5 GLIAC) with a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon and the Warriors dropped game one 11-1 before rebounding for a 14-6 game two win and a series victory.  It is the first time since the end of the 2016 season that Northwood has lost a series.

GAME ONE (L, 1-11)
HOW IT HAPPENED
WSU was unable to turn a two-out Rudy Ramirez (Brighton, Mich.) double into any runs in the top of the second inning.  Two hits and a two walks produced a run in the bottom of the second inning for NU but Dillon McInerney (Richmond, Mich.) (4-1) did well to limit the damage and leave the bases loaded.  The momentum stayed with the home dugout as the Timberwolves added three runs in the bottom of the third inning on back-to-back RBI doubles and a fielding error but a double play ended NU's rally.  Northwood's lead grew to 9-0 with five more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

An error and two hits put Northwood into double figures with a 10-0 advantage after five innings of play.  WSU broke through in the top of the sixth inning for a run on three hits.  Jacob Finkbeiner (Saline, Mich.) and Michael MacLean (Bloomfield Hills, Mich. / Country Day / The Lawrenceville School) started the frame with singles before Hunter DeLanoy (Hartland, Mich.) singled through the right side for an RBI.  However, the NU bats kept the pressure on with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

AT THE PLATE
DeLanoy finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.

ON THE MOUND
McInerney was tagged for seven runs (six earned) in three and a 1/3 innings.  Max Moon (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Gabriel Richard) worked two and 2/3 innings out of the bullpen, allowing four runs (two earned), while Addison Pawelek (Shelby Twp., Mich. / De La Salle) was solid in his two innings of scoreless action.

GAME TWO (W, 14-6)
HOW IT HAPPENED
WSU loaded the bases in the top of the first inning after walks to Finkbeiner and DeLanoy plus a single from Tristen Jorah (Clinton Twp., Mich. / Sterling Heights Stevenson).  Justin Kelly gave the Warriors their first lead of the day with an RBI single but a 6-4-3 double play helped the T-Wolves escape the potentially big inning.

Robert Iacobelli (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Brother Rice) singled to start the second inning before Jacob Badalamenti (Clinton Twp., Mich. / De La Salle) and Finkbeiner drew walks to load the bases.  MacLean drew the third walk of the frame, collecting an RBI before Jorah flied out to center field for a sac fly RBI, giving the Green & Gold a 3-0 lead.

A solo home run by Cole Brooks in the bottom of the third inning trimmed WSU's lead to 3-1 and another run in the fourth brought NU within one, 3-2.  

MacLean led off the fifth inning with a double to right center before Jorah walked and DeLanoy reached on an infield single.  A fielding error gave WSU a 4-2 lead and Kelly an RBI.  Iacobelli was plunked and collected a hard-earned RBI as Badalamenti cleared the bases with a three-run triple to right field to extend the visitor's lead to 8-2.  Northwood loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning with a single, a walk and a hit-by-pitch before Nick Palmer's Grand Slam cut the Wayne State margin to two, 8-6.

Back-to-back walks and a bunt single loaded the bases in the top of the sixth inning for WSU and Kelly crushed his 30th career home run, a Grand Slam to left field, stretching the advantage to 12-6.  Kelly kept his hot bat going with an RBI double in the eighth inning for WSU's 13th run of the game before Noah Miller (Macomb, Mich. / University Liggett) added a run with an RBI sacrifice bunt.

AT THE PLATE
Kelly went 4-for-5 with seven RBI, a double, a Grand Slam an three runs scored.  It is the most RBI since Kyle Zimmerman drove in eight runs against Urbana on April 9, 2013.  Kelly is six home runs shy of matching the program record, currently held by Jon Weisman (36 / 2003-07).  DeLanoy and Iacobelli each posted three hits.

ON THE MOUND
Josh Nelson (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Saline) started and lasted four and 2/3 innings, allowing six earned runs on seven hits and one walk, while striking out five batters.  Brennan Cox (Taylor, Mich. / Riverview Gabriel Richard) (3-0) allowed just one baserunner in his two and a 1/3 innings of relief to pick up the win.  Richard Hovde (Saline, Mich.) tossed the final two innings and did not allow a run.

UP NEXT
WSU will play a non-conference nine-inning contest vs. Lake Erie at Classic Park (home of the Lake County Captains / Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians) in Eastlake, Ohio on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m.  The Warriors then host Purdue Northwest (9-13 overall, 6-2 GLIAC) at Harwell Field for four games beginning on Friday at 3:30 P.M.