DETROIT -- With the GLIAC Tournament looming, the Wayne State University baseball program (26-19 overall, 14-12 GLIAC) hosted Grand Valley State (27-20 overall, 15-12 GLIAC) on Saturday for two games and WSU took game one 8-7 with a walk-off RBI single from Michael MacLean (Bloomfield Hills, Mich. / Country Day) before falling in 18-13 in game two.

Wayne State has secured its spot in next week's GLIAC Tournament but are looking to improve its seeding both for that event and the possibly for its NCAA postseason resume.  In the most recent regional ranking, the Warriors were ranked eighth in the Midwest Region.  Eight teams from each of the eight regions will be selected to compete in regional play with the winners from each location advancing to the Division II College World Series.

Wayne State is currently the fifth seed in the GLIAC standings, while GVSU is fourth.  A WSU win on Sunday would give the Warriors in the fourth seed and have them face third-seeded Ashland to open the GLIAC Tournament.

GAME ONE (W, 8-7)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Justin Kelly (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton Warrenville South) opened the scoring with a towering two-run home run to left center, giving WSU a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.  Tristen Jorah (Clinton Twp., Mich. / Sterling Heights Stevenson) connected for his first career home run to left field in the bottom of the second inning to push the home advantage to 3-0.  GVSU tied the game at 3-3 with a three-run triple in the top of the third inning.

-  Kelly's second home run of the day came in the bottom of the third inning as WSU regained the lead 4-3.  The Green & Gold scored three more times in the bottom of the fourth on three hits, extending WSU's lead to 7-3.  MacLean started the scoring with an RBI triple to right center before Jorah plated him with a sacrifice fly to left field.  Jacob Finkbeiner (Saline, Mich.) drove in the third run of the frame with an RBI single to left field.

- The Lakers tied the game at 7-7 with four runs on two hits and a WSU error in the top of the sixth.  Both teams went scoreless during their next at-bat but Kelly started the bottom of the seventh with an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error by the GVSU shortstop.  After an intentional walk to JT Conti (Trenton, Mich.), another error loaded the bases for MacLean.  The freshman lined a single into left center to bring home the game-winning run.

AT THE PLATE
- Kelly continued to have an extremely hot bat, going 3-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI.  MacLean finished with two hits and two RBI, while Jorah also accounted for two RBI.

ON THE MOUND
- Nolan Dill (Bowling Green, Ohio) was good enough to get the win but four unearned runs would prove costly as he lasted five and a 1/3 innings, striking out four batters.  Addison Pawelek (Shelby Twp., Mich. / De La Salle) (3-2) earned the win by working the final inning and 2/3 and not allowing a base runner.

GAME TWO (L, 13-18)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- In what would be a wild game two, GVSU started the scoring early with five runs on three hits and a WSU error in the top of the first inning.  The bats continued to carry the Warriors as WSU answered with three runs on three hits and a GVSU error in the bottom of the first inning.  In the inning, Brad Baldwin (Troy, Mich. / Bishop Foley Catholic), Kelly and Conti all picked up RBI.  However, the Lakers were quick to respond with four more runs on three hits in the top of the second inning to take a 9-3 lead.  Wayne State scored twice on a hit and another Laker error in the bottom of the second inning, cutting the deficit to 9-5.  Patrick Adams (Detroit, Mich. De La Salle) produced a run with a sacrifice fly and Baldwin drove in a run with an RBI single.

-  A two-run home run in the top of the third inning gave GVSU an 11-5 lead, which grew to 15-5 with four more runs in the top of the fifth inning.  WSU began to chip away at the 10-run gap with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Ryan Mergener (Portage, Mich. / Portage Central) and MacLean both collected RBI in the rally.  The comeback attempt began in earnest in the bottom of the sixth inning when the Warriors scored six runs on five hits and a GVSU error.  Finkbeiner began the scoring with an RBI single to center and Josh Blaszczak (Brownstown, Mich. / Riverview Gabriel Richard) made it 15-8 with an RBI single off the wall in left.  Conti was the next batter and crushed a three-run home run to right field to bring WSU within three at 15-12.  A MacLean RBI double ended the scoring for the inning and cut the visitors' lead to 15-13.

- A three-run home run to left center in the top of the seventh inning made it 18-13 and WSU was unable to continue its offensive barrage in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Lakers earned the Saturday split.

AT THE PLATE
- Baldwin, Conti and Mergener all posted two-hit games, while Cont drove in four runs to pace the offense.

ON THE MOUND
- Josh Nelson (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Saline) (4-3) allowed six earned runs in an inning of work before being replaced by Tyler Waldrop (Grand Ledge, Mich.) who worked an inning and a 1/3, allowing three earned runs.  Jack Schmidt (Fishers, Ind. / Indianapolis Cathedral) was touched for four earned runs in two and 2/3 innings.  Nick Cowen (Tecumseh, Mich.) worked the next inning and a 1/3 and allowed two earned runs before Brendan Wetmore (Westland, Mich. / John Glenn) allowed an earned run in his 1/3 of an inning of action.  Brendan Bilkovic (West Bloomfield, Mich.) retired the batter he face via a strikeout.

UP NEXT
- WSU will conclude the regular season tomorrow with the series finale against GVSU beginning at 1:00 p.m.  The eight-member Senior class will be honored on the field prior to first pitch.