DETROIT -- The Wayne State University baseball team (20-13 overall, 12-9 GLIAC) hosted first-place Northwood (26-11 overall, 17-8 GLIAC) on Friday afternoon for the first of four games at Harwell Field and a 10-run seventh inning powered the Timberwolves to a 13-5 victory and one step closer to a regular season title.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Northwood struck first with two runs on three hits and a WSU error in the top of the fourth inning. Wayne State answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a one-run lead. Graduate student Michael MacLean (Bloomfield Hills, Mich. / Country Day / The Lawrenceville School) singled to begin the frame and junior Rudy Ramirez (Brighton, Mich.) banged an RBI double off the wall in left field. Redshirt sophomore Max Hendricks (White Lake, Mich. / Hartland) drove in two runs with a double down the left field line and an RBI single by redshirt junior Nate Roede (Byron Center, Mich.) gave the Warriors a 3-2 advantage.
The Timberwolves tied the game at 3-3 with three hits in the top of the fifth inning and used five hits, two errors and four walks to plate 10 runs in the top of the seventh inning.
The Green & Gold scored twice in the bottom of the ninth on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly from senior Jacob Finkbeiner (Saline, Mich.). Hendricks, Roede and junior Jacob Badalamenti (Clinton Twp., Mich. / Warren De La Salle) all had hits in the inning.
AT THE PLATE
Hendricks and Roede both went 2-for-3, while Hendricks led the offense with two RBI.
ON THE MOUND
Graduate student Dillon McInerney (Richmond, Mich.) (5-3) allowed six runs (four earned) on nine hits and four walks. He struck out two batters.
Redshirt senior Brendan Bilkovic (West Bloomfield, Mich.) allowed seven runs (three earned) in in 1/3 of an inning before redshirt sophomore Joey Muzljakovich (Mayfield, Mich. / Traverse City St. Francis) did not allow a run in 2/3 of an inning. Freshman David Thurman (Southfield, Mich. / Detroit Edison) tossed a perfect eighth inning and redshirt junior Jacob Raymond (Shelby Twp., Mich. / Utica Eisenhower) hung a zero in the ninth.
UP NEXT
The Green & Gold are scheduled to host Northwood for two games at Harwell Field on Saturday beginning at 1:00 PM. Game one will be seven innings followed by a nine-inning contest.