Excitement was in the air during night one of the NSIC Baseball Tournament where sparks were flying late for the #3 seed Wayne State College.
From Ronken Field in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Wildcats began the double-elimination tourney on May 7 against #6 Minnesota Duluth.
Senior Taylor Gill won the game for WSC with a RBI base hit driving in redshirt junior Cam Madsen. Wayne State College won 9-8 in 10 innings over the Bulldogs.
The Wildcats improved to 30-20 while UMD fell to 25-26.
Minnesota Duluth opened scoring with a single run in the top of the first inning.
WSC quickly answered with two runs thanks to a two-run homerun by senior Chase Douglas driving in Madsen.
Following three scoreless innings, the Bulldogs regained the lead with two runs in the top of the fifth.
Wayne State College followed with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to lead 4-3 when senior Kaden Young recorded a two-run homerun driving in junior Braden Cannon.
WSC extended their lead with three more runs in the home half of the seventh to go up 7-3. Gill used a RBI base hit scoring Douglas; senior Quinn McCafferty added a RBI double bringing in Gill as sophomore Brayden Chaney also doubled driving in McCafferty.
The Bulldogs then posted a four-run top of the eighth and then took the lead at 8-7 with one more run in the top of the ninth.
With a full count to Cannon and a walk issued, Chaney took that opportunity to steal home and forced extra innings tied at 8-8.
The Wildcats then picked up their 17th hit of the game to drive in the winning run in the home half of the 10th inning.
Final favored Wayne State College winning 9-8 over Minnesota Duluth while outhitting the Bulldogs, 17-15. Both teams recorded an error.
Chase Douglas recorded three singles, a two-run home run and two total runs scored; Cam Madsen singled twice, doubled and scored twice; Quinn McCafferty doubled twice, drove in a run and scored; Braden Cannon singled three times and scored as Kaden Young tacked on a two-run homerun.
Brayden Chaney also doubled, drove in a run and scored; Taylor Gill singled twice, drove in two runs and scored as junior Casey Prychak singled.
Cannon (53 pitches) picked up the win in two and two-thirds allowing one run off two hits while striking out five batters and walking one.
Junior Clay Beaumont (76) started the opening five innings allowing three earned runs off seven hits while striking out one batter, walking two and hitting one. Senior Josh Kilzer (39) worked two and a third innings allowing four earned runs off six hits while striking out one batter.
