Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- The Wayne State University baseball team (4-0) opened its Spring Break trip with two wins over in-region opponent Lewis University (5-6) to begin the 2014 RussMatt Invitational. The Warrior pitching was able to hold the Flyers to just a run in game one of the doubleheader as Wayne State took the opener 2-1. WSU took a back-and-forth contest in game two, 5-3, with three runs in the final two innings.

Game One (W, 2-1)
Lewis put two runners on in the top of the first with back-to-back singles but Kyle Zimmerman (Frankfort, Mich.) (2-0) was able to to end the inning with no damage done.

Jeremy Carrell (St. Clair, Mich.) began the bottom of the first with a single down the left-field line and the Warriors took the early lead with an RBI single from Cameron Walker (Clinton Twp., Mich. / De La Salle).

Lewis put runners on second and third in the top of the second but Zimmerman was again able to pitch through the traffic.

The Flyers tied the game up at 1-1 in the top of the fourth inning on a solo home run to left field from Anthony Mastela.

An A.J. Matos (Southgate, Mich. / Detroit Western) walk, Justin Sherman (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Pioneer) single and a Carrell hit-by-pitch loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning. Eric Cunningham (LaSalle, Ont. / St. Thomas of Villanova) drew a bases-loaded walk to plate the eventual game-winning run.

Mastela singled down the left-field line to begin the seventh and final inning. A sacrifice bunt put a runner on second and Ryan Kelley summoned his closer, Clayton Ruch (Pemberville, Ohio / Eastwood) to get the final two outs. Ruch did just that to deliver WSU its third win of the season.

Walker was the lone Warrior with multiple hits. Zimmerman finished with six strikeouts in 6.1 innings, allowing one earned run on eight hits. Phil Warner (0-1) was saddled with the loss after going all six innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out nine.

Game Two (W, 5-3)
Lewis took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second to begin game two. However, Alex Kinch (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Pioneer) (2-0) limited the damage and stranded three Flyers on the base paths.

WSU responded with a pair of runs of its own in the top of the third inning. Carrell singled up the middle and was able to jog home on a Cunningham two-run home run over the left field wall, to tie the game at 2-2.

The Green & Gold broke the tie game in the top of the sixth inning with two runs on three hits. Cole Clifton (Sterling Heights. Mich. / De La Salle) delivered the damage with a two-run single through the right side.

Lewis cut the WSU lead to one with a run in the bottom of the sixth innin. Joel Rotkvich singled through the left side for the RBI.

WSU regained its two-run cushion in the top of the seventh inning on a Cunningham groundout to the shortstop.

Ruch picked up his second save of the day, setting down the Flyers in order in the bottom of the seventh inning. It was Ruch's 12th career save, which ranks him third in program history. Ruch is six saves away from second place, which currently belongs to Jon Venuto's (1999-2002) 18 saves. Billy Hurley (2010-2012) has the program record with 19.

Clifton went 3-for-3 with two RBI while Cunningham drove in the other two runs. Kinch struck out a career-high nine batters over his six innings of work, allowing three earned runs on six hits.

WSU will play Missouri-St. Louis at 3 PM at Lake Myrtle Park Field #3 as the Russmatt Invtational continues from Florida.