BOX SCORES:  GAME 1  |  GAME 2

HILLSDALE, Mich. - The Wayne State University baseball team and Hillsdale College combined to score 42 runs as the teams split a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon.  The Chargers took game one, 11-5, and the Warriors claimed a 17-9 victory in game two.

WSU and Hillsdale split the season series, as each team earned a win March 28 in Detroit.

The Warriors will host Ashland for a four-game series this weekend.  Saturday's doubleheader will be highlighted by an alumni reunion during which Wayne State's 1982 GLIAC Championship team will be recognized.


GAME 1: HILLSDALE 11, WAYNE STATE 5

The Chargers confined their scoring efforts to two big innings, including their six-run fourth inning.  Wayne State made it a 6-5 game on Kasey Koster's (Portage, Mich./Central) three-run homer in the top of the sixth, but Hillsdale pulled away with five runs in the bottom half.

Eric Cunningham (LaSalle, Ont./St. Thomas of Vilanova) and Kyle Vesey (Brighton, Mich.) each went 2-for-3 with a run scored.  Five Chargers had two-hit games including Brad Hayden who doubled twice and scored two runs.

A two-run single by Chris Gebara (Troy, Mich.) gave the Warriors a 2-0 lead in the top of the second.  Pat O'Hearn's two-run double was one of eight Hillsdale hits in the six-run fourth inning.

Consecutive walks to Brad Guenther (Ann Arbor, Mich./Saline) and Andrew Ciennik (Waterford, Mich./Mott) set up Koster for his three-run shot to center, his third homer of the year which pulled the Warriors within one.

A triple by Scott Lantis drove in two runs as part of the Chargers' five-run sixth inning.  Wayne State was retired in order in the seventh by Michael Keve, who pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in relief of Colin Gerish.

Kyle Zimmerman (Frankfort, Mich.), the first of five pitchers used by Wayne State, took the loss (0-2) after allowing four runs on five hits in 3.1 innings.  Gerish (1-3) surrendered five runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks over 5.1 innings.


GAME 2: WAYNE STATE 17, HILLSDALE 9

The nightcap saw the Warriors and Chargers combine for 22 hits and nine errors in a wild game.  Vesey went 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored.  J.J. Ciennik (Waterford, Mich./Mott) and Cunningham also had three-hit performances, and Koster hit his second three-run homer of the day.

Alex Trojan (Fenton, Mich./Hartland) drove in three runs and scored twice, while Guenther and Andrew Ciennik each scored three times.

Wayne State established a 13-1 lead after its seven-run third inning.  Hillsdale scored seven times in the fourth and once in the fifth, but the Warriors' four-run sixth inning provided sufficient insurance.

Vesey drove in two runs in the second inning with a base hit, as did Gebara in the third with a double.  Wayne State totaled six hits in the third and benefitted from two Hillsdale miscues.

Moments after clearing the bases with a double, O'Hearn scored on a double by Lantis to end HC's seven-run fourth inning.  A bases-loaded walk to Mike Blanchard made it 13-9 after the fifth, but in the sixth Guenther scored on an error prior to Koster's three-run homer to right.

Hillsdale used six pitchers in the game.  Starter Charlie Fisher took the loss (0-3) after allowing five earned runs on seven hits in just one inning of work.

Keaton LeBlanc (LaSalle, Ont./St. Thomas of Vilanova) earned his first victory in relief of Justin Sylvester (Macomb, Mich./Dakota), who gave up five earned runs on six hits in his second career start.  LeBlanc (1-0), Chris Waha (Charlevoix, Mich.) and Matt Mahalak (Wyandotte, Mich./Our Lady of Mt. Carmel) combined for 3.1 hitless innings.


NOTES

Wednesday's second game marked WSU's highest scoring output since a 19-5 win against Minnesota-Crookston on March 16, 2011 … Andrew Ciennik went 5-for-10 with six runs scored in four games versus Hillsdale this season … Vesey had five hits Wednesday and extended his hitting streak to seven games.