Following a road doubleheader earlier in the week, the Wayne State College baseball team remained in road competition starting a three-game series on Friday.
From Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, Minnesota, WSC visited St. Cloud State University showcasing a doubleheader.
Wayne State College held onto an 8-7 game one win followed by an 11-6 victory. WSC is now 22-16 (18-11 NSIC) while the host Huskies fell to 20-19 (16-13 NSIC). The Wildcat wins move them into a tie for third place in the league standings.
In the opening game, Wayne State College started with a three-run top of the first inning. Sophomore Max Heard posted a two-run homerun scoring senior Chase Douglas while junior Braden Cannon added a RBI base hit driving in senior Quinn McCafferty.
St. Cloud State tallied a single run a half of an inning later.
WSC followed with a single run in the top of the second to go up 4-1 as sophomore Brayden Chaney scored on a wild pitch.
SCSU added one run in the bottom of the second.
Following a scoreless third, both teams traded four-run fourth innings.
The Wildcats began with a RBI double from redshirt junior Cam Madsen scoring Chaney, Madsen then scored on a passed ball, Cannon added a RBI bases loaded walk scoring senior Taylor Gill as junior Casey Prychak closed with a RBI hit by pitch bringing in McCafferty.
Neither team scored in the fifth and sixth until St. Cloud State closed with just one run in the home half of the seventh.
Final favored Wayne State College winning 8-7 as both teams recorded seven hits. WSC committed two errors compared to zero by the Huskies.
Max Heard recorded a two-run homerun; Cam Madsen doubled, drove in a run and scored as Chase Douglas doubled and scored.
Braden Cannon singled and drove in two runs; Brayden Chaney and Quinn McCafferty both singled and scored twice; senior Kaden Young singled; Casey Prychak accounted for a RBI as Taylor Gill scored.
Sophomore Conlin Grady (40 pitches) picked up the win in two and a third of scoreless relief allowing two hits while striking out a batter, walking one and hitting two. Cannon recorded his seventh save of the season in the final inning and two-thirds allowing an earned run off one hit while striking out two batters, walking one and hitting one.
Senior Jackson Shelburne (62) started the opening three innings allowing six runs (five earned) off four hits while striking out, walking and hitting two batters each.
During the second outing, neither team scored in the first inning until Wayne State College utilized one run in the top of the second. Cannon recorded a solo homerun.
St. Cloud State took the lead of 2-1 thanks to a pair of runs in the home half of the third inning.
The Wildcats then took charge with their first, four-run inning in the top of the fourth. Chaney used a sac-fly RBI scoring Young; Cannon was awarded home plate on a balk before Heard posted a two-RBI single driving in Prychak and Madsen.
Wayne State College added four more runs in the top of the top of the fifth to go up 9-2. McCaffery crossed the plate on a wild pitch, Chaney drove in Prychak, Madsen doubled in Chaney as Gill used a RBI bases loaded walk to score Madsen.
WSC tallied a single run in the top of the sixth with Young being awarded home plate on a balk.
St. Cloud State answered with two runs in the home half of the sixth and then scored twice more in the bottom of the seventh to pull within four runs.
The Wildcats scored one final time in the top of the eighth. Chaney reached safely on an error scoring Prychak.
Final in the nine-inning outing, favored Wayne State College winning 11-6 while outhitting SCSU, 10-7. WSC committed four errors compared to two by St. Cloud State.
Cam Madsen singled, doubled, drove in a run and scored twice; Quinn McCafferty singled, doubled and scored; Braden Cannon recorded a solo homerun while scoring two total times; Casey Prychak doubled and scored three times as Chase Douglas also doubled.
Brayden Chaney singled, drove in two runs and scored; Max Heard singled and drove in two runs; Kaden Young singled and scored twice as Taylor Gill accounted for a RBI.
Junior Clay Beaumont (97 pitches) picked up the win in five and a third innings allowing four runs (two earned) off one hit while striking out four batters and walking five. Senior Jacob Kneifl (30) worked an inning and two-thirds allowing two earned runs off four hits while striking out one batter. Senior Kadyn Van Hill (30) closed out the final two innings allowing two hits while striking out three batters and hitting one.
