Andrew Hanson’s grand slam highlighted a seven-run fourth inning in the second game to help Wayne State salvage a split with Minnesota Duluth in a Northern Sun Conference baseball doubleheader Thursday at Riverside Park in Yankton, S.D.
The games were moved due to lingering wet field conditions in Wayne. Duluth won the opener 4-2 with Wayne State coming back for a 8-2 win in the second game.
The opener saw Minnesota Duluth starter Marcus Frederickson hold the Wildcats to three hits as Duluth knocked out nine hits to claim the win.
The Bulldogs scored one run in the second, two in the third and one more in the fourth off Wildcat starter Aidan Breedlove.
Wayne State had just one hit, a third-inning single by Jackson Petersen, entering the seventh inning. Hanson opened the seventh with a double followed by a Tanner Simons single. The Wildcats avoided the shutout when Duluth had a throwing error when Simons stole second base, allowing Hanson to score. Simons later scored on a wild pitch with two outs, but that was as close as the Wildcats would get in the opener.
Breedlove (1-2) suffered the pitching loss, charged with four runs on eight hits over five innings with five strikeouts and three walks. Brady Johnson worked the final two innings and gave up just one hit.
In the second game, Hanson’s grand slam fueled a seven-run fourth inning as the Wildcats rallied from a 2-0 deficit to gain a split with the Bulldogs.
Duluth scored two runs in the first off Wildcat starter Aaron Ras for the early lead before Wayne State took control of the game in the fourth with seven hits and seven runs, keyed by Hanson's grand slam. Other key hits in the fourth were RBI singles from Kyle Thompson and Garrett Graveline and an RBI double by Petersen. The Wildcats added another run in the fifth inning on Jake Lorenzini’s RBI double to close out the scoring.
Wayne State held a 12-6 advantage in hits over the Bulldogs in the second game. Hanson was 2-for-5 with a grand slam and four RBI. Graveline was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored while David Janes and Travis Miller each went 2-for-4.
Ras (2-1) earned the pitching win for Wayne State. He allowed two runs on five hits in six innings of work with five strikeouts and four walks. Isaac Rubendall, Jordan Mehl and Lawson Zenner each worked one inning of relief.
Wayne State (7-9, 5-1 NSIC) and Minnesota Duluth will meet again Friday with an earlier start of 11 a.m. at the Pete Chapman Baseball Complex in Wayne due to the weather.
