BECKLEY, W.V. -- The Wayne State University baseball team (7-2 overall) finished the Ohio Valley (2-9 overall) series on Monday with a 26-1 victory to complete the sweep and extend its winning streak to four games. The 27 total hits is a program record and the 26 runs is tied for the most in program history. WSU posted a 26-run performance last season at Davenport (April 26, 2019).
HOW IT HAPPENED
The top of the second inning started with a double from redshirt sophomore
Chris Tanderys (Livonia, Mich. / Stevenson) and a single by junior
Jacob Finkbeiner (Saline, Mich.). A wild pitch and an RBI double by sophomore
Rudy Ramirez (Brighton, Mich.) gave WSU a 2-0 lead. Redshirt sophomore
Jacob Raymond (Shelby Twp., Mich. / Utica Eisenhower) made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly to right field. A walk, a wild pitch and a single loaded the bases for Ohio Valley in the bottom of the second inning before an error allowed a run to score for the Fighting Scots.
WSU added a run in the top of the third inning on an RBI single from Tanderys and two more in the top of the fourth inning on singles from redshirt sophomore
Ryan Foley (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Saline) and junior
Michael MacLean (Bloomfield Hills, Mich. / Country Day / The Lawrenceville School).
Four more runs scored in the top of the fifth inning as Ramirez and Raymond notched RBI in the frame. Redshirt senior
Robert Iacobelli (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Brother Rice) plated one of the three runs to score in the sixth inning before redshirt sophomore
Nate Roede (Byron Center, Mich.) homered to start the seventh inning as Wayne State eventually extended its advantage to 16-1.
Roede homered again to lead off the eighth inning as the Warriors scored three more runs. The Green & Gold pushed across seven more runs in the ninth to put the final score at 26-1.
AT THE PLATE
Iacobelli finished 5-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored, while Ramirez, redshirt freshman
Brett Zimmerman (Frankfort, Mich.) and Raymond all had three hits. Raymond drove in a team-high five runs, while Ramirez had four RBI. Foley, Roede, Tanderys, sophomore
Noah Miller (Macomb, Mich. / University Liggett) Finkbeiner and senior
Preston Pilat (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Brother Rice) all had two hits. A total of 12 Warriors had base knocks, while 11 drove in at least one run.
ON THE MOUND
Graduate starting pitcher
Austin Atwood (Dearborn, Mich. / Edsel Ford) worked the first three innings and allowed an unearned run, while striking out five batters. Senior
Josh Nelson (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Saline) (2-0) collected the win by working a scoreless fourth inning before freshman
Karter Fitzpatrick (Monroe, Mich. / Carleton Airport) struck out three batters in two scoreless innings. Redshirt junior
Brendan Bilkovic (West Bloomfield, Mich.), freshman
Kaden Stively (Washington, Mich. / Romeo) and redshirt freshman
Joey Muzljakovich (Mayfield, Mich. / Traverse City St. Francis) were responsible for the final three innings, with each posting a zero in their inning of work.
UP NEXT
The Warriors will travel to Florida for their Spring Break. WSU will play eight games from March 7-14 beginning against Winona State on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.