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Wayne State University Athletics

Justin Kelly
Senior catcher Justin Kelly now has 28 career home runs.
3
Wayne State WSU 8-1
4
Winner Notre Dame College NDC 3-5
Wayne State WSU
8-1
3
Final
4
Notre Dame College NDC
3-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Wayne State WSU 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 1
Notre Dame College NDC 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 X 4 11 1

W: Guzik, Kevin (1-0) L: Wetmore, Brendan (0-1) S: Marshall, T (1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Cameron Weidenthaler, Assistant Media Relations Director

Baseball Suffers First Loss on Thursday

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Wayne State University baseball team (8-1 overall) started its Spring Break trip at the RussMatt Invitational on Thursday night against Notre Dame College (3-5 overall) and the Warriors lost for the first time this season, 4-3.  The eight wins to begin the season matches the best start in program history (2014).

HOW IT HAPPENED
It was more of the same for the WSU offense in the top of the first inning as the Warriors scored a run on two hits.  Jacob Finkbeiner (Saline, Mich.) doubled to begin the game and Michael MacLean (Bloomfield Hills, Mich. / Country Day / The Lawrenceville School) doubled to center field, staking Wayne State to a 1-0 lead.  Justin Kelly (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton Warrenville South) smacked his first home run of the season to lead off the fourth inning and Noah Miller (Macomb, Mich. / University Liggett) drove in Troy Daring, Jr. (Brampton, Ont.) to extend the visitor's advantage to 3-0.

Hunter Brown (St. Clair Shores, Mich. / Lakeview) continued his solid start to the season and kept the Falcons off the scoreboard despite an error in the bottom of the fourth inning with the help of a line-drive double play.  Singles from Hunter DeLanoy (Hartland, Mich.) and Kelly did not produce a run in the top of the fifth inning.  Notre Dame use a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth inning to pull within two, 3-1.

A two out rally by NDC in the bottom of the sixth inning produced another run for the Falcons to trim deficit to 3-2.  After a 1-2-3 inning for the Green & Gold in the top of the seventh inning, the momentum was firmly in the home dugout.  Three more hits and two walks plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, giving Notre Dame a 4-3 advantage.

WSU went down in order in the top of the eighth inning and NDC nearly added on to its lead but an outfield assist from center fielder Ryan Foley (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Saline) cut down a runner at home in the bottom of the eighth.

Pinch-hitter Josh Blaszczak (Brownstown, Mich. / Riverview Gabriel Richard) drew a one-out walk in the top of the ninth inning.  Foley followed with a single but Blaszczak was thrown out trying to advance to third base on the play.  Back-to-back balks moved Foley to third and walks to Finkbeiner and DeLanoy loaded the bases.  MacLean was unable to extend the game as he struck out looking.

AT THE PLATE
Kelly finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a home run.  The solo blast moves the senior captain within eight home runs of matching the program home run record held by Hall of Famer Jon Wesiman (2004-07).  Finkbeiner and Miller also tallied a pair of hits.

ON THE MOUND
Brown struck out nine batters over six innings, while allowing two runs on six hits and two walks.  He has struck out 36 batters in 23 innings so far this season.  Brendan Wetmore (Westland, Mich. / John Glenn) (0-1) allowed two runs in his 2/3 of an inning of relief as he surrendered the lead.  Richard Hovde (Saline, Mich.) was untouched in an inning and 1/3 on the mound.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will play twice on Friday beginning at 12:30 p.m. vs. Northern State and the finish the day against Walsh at 4:00 p.m.

 
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