KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Wayne State University baseball team (12-3 overall) played twice on Tuesday against a pair of nationally ranked programs and the Warriors collected two statement wins.  First was a 4-2 victory in 10 innings over No. 15 Augustana (7-4 overall) before cruising past to 10th-ranked West Chester (6-2 overall), 7-2.  The two opponents have won each of the last two DII National Championships (West Chester in 2017 and Augustana in 2018).

GAME ONE vs. #15 AUGUSTANA (W, 4-2 / 10 INNINGS)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams were scoreless four and a 1/2 innings before the Vikings struck first with a run on a hit and walk in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Augustana doubled its lead to 2-0 with two hits in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The first two batters of the eighth inning but the second, Noah Miller (Macomb, Mich. / University Liggett) reached on a dropped third strike.  Ryan Foley (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Saline) drew a walk before Michael MacLean (Bloomfield Hills, Mich. / Country Day / The Lawrenceville School) doubled home two runs.  AU had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning but Richard Hovde (Saline, Mich.) (2-1) struck out the batter with the game-winning run standing at third base.

Foley was drilled with a pitch with one out in the 10th inning and advanced to second on a Jacob Finkbeiner (Saline, Mich.) single through the right side.  A walk to MacLean loaded the bases and Tristen Jorah (Clinton Twp., Mich. / Sterling Heights Stevenson) staked WSU to a 4-2 lead with a two-run single into left field.

Hovde set down the Vikings in order in the bottom of the 10th inning to secure the victory.

AT THE PLATE
MacLean drove in two runs, going 2-for-4, while Jorah also drove in two runs.  Foley scored twice and drew a walk.

ON THE MOUND
Hunter Brown (St. Clair Shores, Mich. / Lakeview) struck out eight batters over five innings and allowed am unearned run on four hits and three walks.  Hovde earned his second win of the season by working the last five frames, allowing one run on three hits and two walks.

GAME TWO vs. #10 WEST CHESTER (W, 7-2)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Warriors wasted no time in setting the tone during game two, scoring twice in the top of the first inning on a Hunter DeLanoy (Hartland, Mich.) triple.  Josh Nelson (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Saline) kept the Golden Rams quiet over three innings before WCU combined a triple and a single to get on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Wayne State answered with two runs on three hits and an error in the top of the fifth inning.  Foley started the frame with a triple before Finkbeiner doubled him home and MacLean followed with a single.  A sacrifice fly off Jorah's bat pushed the advantage to 4-1.  Brennan Cox (Taylor, Mich. / Riverview Gabriel Richard) (1-0) was called on from the bullpen to start the bottom of the fifth inning and struck out the side and kept West Chester at bay.

A two-run triple from Jorah extended the lead to 6-1 in the top of the seventh inning.  Two hits in the bottom of the eighth inning produced a run for the Rams but Robert Iacobelli (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Brother Rice) got the run right back with an RBI single up the middle in the top of the ninth inning.

AT THE PLATE
MacLean raised his batting average to over .400 with a 3-for-5 performance, while Finkbeiner went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, increasing his batting clip to .517 for the year.  DeLanoy drove in two runs to go with his two hits and Jorah led the offense with a trio of RBI.

ON THE MOUND
Nelson was sharp through four innings, striking out four batters and allowing a run on four hits.  Cox set down eight via the strikeout and allowed a run in five innings of work earning his first win of the season.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will meet Minnesota-Duluth on Wednesday morning with first pitch scheduled for 9:15 a.m.