UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. -- With the end of the regular season now in sight, the Wayne State University baseball team (15-17-1, 9-10-1 GLIAC) played an important GLIAC North Division doubleheader at Saginaw Valley State (13-17-1, -11 GLIAC) on Wednesday afternoon. SVSU uses a three-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning to win game one 5-4. Game two ended in a 3-3 tie due to darkness. It is the first tie for Wayne State since March 11, 2000 versus Charleston (7-7). 

After Wednesday's action, the Warriors are in third place in the North Division and sixth place overall. The top two teams from each division make the GLIAC Tournament plus the next two teams with the best overall conference record.

Game One (L, 4-5)
WSU began the scoring in game one with three hits and a SVSU error to plate two runs. The first run scored on a Cardinals' throwing error while the inning's second run scored a ground ball double play.

SVSU cut the deficit in half with a run in the bottom of the third inning on a RBI single from Chad Carson. However, Carson was thrown out at second by left fielder Cole Clifton (Sterling Heights. Mich. / De La Salle) to end the rally. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Cards threatened with runners at the corners but an inning-ending line out to left would quiet the home bats.

Kyle Zimmerman (Frankfort, Mich.) drove home two runs with a single to right field to give WSU a 4-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning.

A throwing error in the bottom of the fifth allowed a run to cross for SVSU and cut the Warriors' lead to 4-2. Chris Horvath (Lakeshore, Ont. / St. Anne Catholic) was replaced by closer Jeff Sorenson (Livonia, Mich. / Stevenson) (2-3) with two outs in the fifth inning. Sorenson struck out Richard Guglielmi to end the threat. Horvath did not allow and earned run while striking out five in his four 2/3 innings of work but did allow seven hits and walked one batter.

Sorenson struck out the first two batters of the sixth inning but a walk, a throwing error and a single loaded the bases. Brad Schalk cleared the bases with a three-run double to right center, giving the Cards a 5-4 lead.

D.J. Reetz was summoned from the SVSU bullpen to close the game and led off the inning with a walk to Clifton. A sacrifice bunt from Bradley Baldwin (Troy, Mich. / Bishop Foley Catholic) moved Clifton to second. Kevin Moore (Detroit, Mich. / Renaissance) pinch ran and took third base on a wild pitch. However, Reetz struck out Devin Rose (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Orchard Lake St. Mary's) to end the game.

Game Two (T, 3-3)
SVSU jumped out to a 2-0 lead with two runs on a hit and a wild pitch in the bottom of the first inning. Guglielmi doubled to right field but a Warriors' appeal at first base proved he missed first base. An RBI single on the infield in the bottom of the third inning pushed the home lead to 3-0.

Tyler Tompson (Farmington, Mich.) started and lasted three innings while allowing two earned runs and striking out a pair.

Following a Clifton double, Ryan Mergener's (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Portage Central) pinch-hit RBI single in the top of the fourth inning got WSU on the board.

Alex Kinch (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Pioneer) replaced Tompson for his fourth career relief appearance to begin the fourth inning.

The Warriors tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the sixth inning after a sacrifice fly from Dennis Olszewski (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Gabriel Richard) and an infield RBI single from Aaron Loconsole (Macomb, Mich. / Marine City).

In the bottom of the sixth inning, JT Conti (Trenton, Mich. ) became the third pitcher of the game for the Warriors. Conti would throw six innings of scoreless baseball, allowing four hits and striking out three.

Olszewski connected for a two-out double in the top of the eighth inning but he would be stranded at second base as the game remained tied going to the ninth inning.

The Cardinals began the bottom of the ninth inning with a walk to Dylan Schultz and he advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. A two-out single and an intentional walk loaded the bases but Conti was able to get Brendan Harrison to line out to left field to keep the game even at 3-3.

WSU collected back-to-back singles in the top of the 10th inning from Zimmerman and Rose but a 6-4-3 double play ended the threat.

SVSU put two runners on base in the bottom of the 10th but nothing would come of it as Conti hung another zero. Back-to-back two-out singles in the top of the 11th inning from Josh Arndt (Sterling Heights. Mich. / Oxford) and Nate Manis (Port Huron, Mich. / Port Huron Northern) looked promising but a ground out ended the frame.

Conti retired the Cards in order in the bottom of the 11th inning and the game would be called due to darkness.

The Warriors will host Northwood this weekend beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 PM.