Travis Miller brought Andrew Hanson home with the game-winner with two out in the bottom of the ninth to give Wayne State an exciting 4-3 win over No. 24 Augustana in action Saturday at the Chapman Complex.
The Vikings scored first in the opening inning, but Wayne State countered in the bottom of the inning when Hanson singled home Alex Logelin, who made an impressive slide to avoid the tag and tie the game at 1-1.
Wayne State’s defense made two great plays to get out of trouble in the second. The Wildcats gunned down a runner at home, with Miller finding Kyle Thompson as the relay to catcher Jake Lamar to get the out at the plate. The defense followed with a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
The Vikings took a 3-1 lead with a pair of runs in the fourth. Wayne State got one of the runs back when Hanson singled home Logelin in the bottom of the fourth, then tied the game in the sixth when Thompson walked and went to third on a Bryce Bisenius single. The throw to third was wide, allowing Thompson to come home with the tying run.
The game stayed tied until the bottom of the ninth, when the Wildcats had Hanson on second with two outs. Miller lashed a single into right center, and Hanson wheeled home and slid head-first into home plate with the game-winning run, giving the Wildcats the upset win.
Aidan Breedlove pitched six solid innings for Wayne State, striking out four batters on five hits. Aaron Ras provided three innings of no-run ball, striking out four of his own on four hits to pick up the win in relief.
Hanson was 3-for-4 to lead the way for Wayne State on offense. Logelin went 2-for-3 on the day with two runs scored, while Bisenius finished 3-for-5.
The Wildcats (31-13, 22-9 NSIC) continue the series with Augustana on Sunday afternoon, playing a doubleheader at the Pete Chapman Baseball Complex starting at 12 p.m.
