LANSING, Mich. -- The Wayne State University baseball team (22-15 overall) started play in the GLIAC Tournament against Grand Valley State (22-13 overall) on Thursday morning and the Warriors lost 6-4 as the Lakers won the first meeting between the teams this season. WSU entered the tournament as the fifth seed, while GVSU was the second seed. The games are being played at Jackson Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Green & Gold started fast in the top of the first inning with a run on two hits and a GVSU error. Graduate student Michael MacLean (Bloomfield Hills, Mich. / Country Day / The Lawrenceville School) sent an RBI single into right field to give WSU a 1-0 lead. The Lakers scored two runs on three hits and a Warrior error in the bottom of the third inning to take a 2-1 lead.
Redshirt sophomore Max Hendricks (White Lake, Mich. / Hartland) connected for a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning to give the visitors a 3-2 advantage. However, the lead was short-lived as GVSU added two runs on two hits and a pair of hit-by-pitches. Wayne State was unable to turn a leadoff double from junior Noah Miller (Macomb, Mich. / University Liggett) in the top of the fifth into a run as both teams went scoreless in the frame.
Grand Valley State tacked on its fifth run of the game on two hits in the bottom of the sixth inning, ignited by a leadoff double from Ryan Blake-Jones. The GVSU lead grew to 6-3 with a run on two hits in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Redshirt junior Hunter DeLanoy (Hartland, Mich.) smacked a leadoff double into the right center field gap to start the eighth inning and moved to third base on a fly out. MacLean doubled down the left field line to trim deficit to two, 6-4, but that would be all of the offense for the game. A two-out single from redshirt junior Ryan Foley (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Saline) in the top of the ninth would be the final baserunner of the game.
AT THE PLATE
MacLean finished 4-for-4 with two RBI and scored a run, while Foley went 2-for-4.
ON THE MOUND
Graduate student Dillon McInerney (Richmond, Mich.) (5-4) allowed five runs on seven hits in six innings.
Redshirt junior Jacob Raymond (Shelby Twp., Mich. / Utica Eisenhower) allowed a run in his 1/3 of an inning before redshirt senior Brendan Bilkovic (West Bloomfield, Mich.) recorded an out. Freshman David Thurman (Southfield, Mich. / Detroit Edison) was impressive in his outing, not allowing a baserunner in one and 1/3 innings of relief and struck out one batter.
UP NEXT
The Green & Gold will play either Davenport or Saginaw Valley State on Friday at 10:00 AM. Follow along with all of the tournament action here.
