HAMMOND, Ind. -- The first-place Wayne State University baseball team (19-8 overall, 11-4 GLIAC) played a doubleheader against Purdue Northwest (9-19 overall, 3-16 GLIAC) on Saturday afternoon and the Warriors battled to win game one 7-4 before pounding out a program-record 28 hits in game two en route to a 23-3 series-securing victory.

It's the most runs scored since WSU totaled 19 runs against Queens in 2011 and ranks fourth all-time, with the record being 26 against Davenport on April 26, 2019.  The five home runs is tied for the second most all-time behind a six home run performance at Urbana on April 9, 2013.

GAME ONE (W, 7-4)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Graduate student Michael MacLean (Bloomfield Hills, Mich. / Country Day / The Lawrenceville School) launched his second home run of the season to left center , giving WSU a 2-0 lead after one inning.  Purdue Northwest got a run back in the bottom of the third inning aided by two doubles.

A two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning put PNW on top 3-2.  However, the Green & Gold were quick to answer with two runs on two hits in the top of the fifth inning, including a two-run single from redshirt junior Hunter DeLanoy (Hartland, Mich.).  The home team tied the game at 4-4 with a run on two hits in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Wayne State loaded the bases in the too if the seventh before senior Ryne Travis (Lockport, Ill. / Lockport Twp.) brought everyone home with a three-run double down the left field line and gave the Warriors a 7-4 advantage in the process.

AT THE PLATE
Travis led the way, going 3-for-4 with three RBI.  DeLanoy and MacLean both drove in two runs.

ON THE MOUND
Senior Nicholas O'Dea (Livonia, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) went four innings, allowing four runs and striking out five batters. Redshirt senior Jack Schmidt (Fishers, Ind. / Indianapolis Cathedral) (3-2) was effective in his three innings out of the bullpen, allowing a run and collecting four Ks.

GAME TWO (W, 23-3)
HOW IT HAPPENED
MacLean connected for his second home run of the day, this one a two-run shot in the top of the first inning to put WSU on top 2-0. Two hits in the bottom of the first gave PNW its first run of the game.

Junior Rudy Ramirez (Brighton, Mich.) homered to left field to lead off the top of the second inning and started a big frame for the Warriors.  WSU would score six more times to extend its lead to 9-1.  Senior Jacob Finkbeiner (Saline, Mich.), DeLanoy, MacLean and redshirt sophomore Max Hendricks (White Lake, Mich. / Hartland) all collected RBI.  Ramirez added a two-run single to finish the scoring and collected three RBI in the inning.

DeLanoy added another tally with an RBI ground-rule double in the top of the third inning and then Wayne State broke the game open with six runs on seven hits in the top of the fourth inning to stretch its lead to 16-1.  DeLanoy hit a Grand Slam, while junior Noah Miller (Macomb, Mich. / University Liggett) and Travis also notched RBI.

The rout continued in the sixth inning with three more runs on five hits and an error.  Redshirt sophomore Brett Zimmerman (Frankfort, Mich.), redshirt junior Jacob Raymond (Shelby Twp., Mich. / Utica Eisenhower) and Finkbeiner delivered the run-producing hits as the Warriors led 19-1 after six innings.

Zimmerman and Raymond notched back-to-back home runs to make it 21-1 in the eighth inning.  An RBI single in the ninth inning from Zimmerman finished the scoring on the day.  The Pride scored twice in the bottom of the ninth inning to put the final score at 23-3

AT THE PLATE
DeLanoy finished with six RBI and went 3-for-6, falling a single short of the cycle.  Finkbeiner, MacLean, Ramirez and Zimmerman all tallied three RBI.  Ramirez went 5-for-7 and scored three times, while Zimmerman had four hits.

ON THE MOUND
Redshirt freshman Karter Fitzpatrick (Monroe, Mich. / Carleton Airport) (4-1) lasted six innings and tallied eight punch outs, while allowing just one run.  Junior Ryan Korolden (Yale, Mich.) picked up the save by working the final three innings, allowing two unearned runs and striking out four.

UP NEXT
The teams will wrap up the series with Sunday contest and first pitch is set for 1:00 PM ET.