A three-day, four-game series in North Dakota was moved up a day and changed to a pair of doubleheaders for the Wayne State College baseball team opening NSIC road play on Thursday.
From Municipal Ballpark in Bismarck, North Dakota, WSC visited University of Mary after hosting a pair of four-game NSIC series the last two weekends. The Wildcats began NSIC play on a neutral field February 22 – 24 in Pueblo, Colorado against Minnesota Crookston.
During the beginning of their fourth NSIC series, Wayne State College first suffered an 8-5 loss before bouncing back with an 8-6 victory. With the split, both teams are now 12-11 (8-6 NSIC).
During game one, University of Mary posted back-to-back two-run innings in the first and second innings to lead 4-0.
Wayne State College answered with a five-run top of the third to lead 5-4. Sophomore Max Heard started with a two-RBI single scoring both redshirt freshman Connor Hunt and redshirt junior Cam Madsen followed by a three-run home from senior Quinn McCafferty scoring Heard and senior Taylor Gill.
Following a scoreless fourth, the host Marauders used another back-to-back of two runs in each of the fifth and sixth.
Final favored University of Mary winning 8-5 despite Wayne State College winning the hit department, 11-6. WSC committed two errors compared to one error by UMary.
Cam Madsen singled twice, doubled and scored as Quinn McCafferty posted a three-run homerun and singled twice. Max Heard singled twice, drove in two runs and scored as senior Kaden Young singled twice.
Connor Hunt singled and scored as Taylor Gill scored.
Senior Josh Kilzer (pitch count NA) suffered the loss in two-thirds of relief allowing two earned runs off one hit while striking out two batters and walking three. Sophomore Kyler Hansen started the opening four innings allowing four runs (two earned) off three hits while striking out four batters, walking one and hitting one batter. Senior Eli Crnkovich closed out the final inning and a third allowing two earned runs off two hits while striking out two batters, walking one and hitting two.
From the second outing, neither team scored in the first inning until Wayne State College brought in a run during the top of the second when Madsen drove in Young.
University of Mary answered with two runs a half of an inning later.
Following a scoreless third, WSC plated a five-run fourth inning to go up 6-2. Senior Chase Douglas first posted a two-RBI single scoring junior Casey Prychak and Hunt, McCafferty followed with a two-RBI base hit driving in both Madsen and Douglas as Young ended the inning with a sac-fly RBI scoring Gill.
The Marauders would gain one run back in the bottom of the fourth and score their final three runs in the fifth to knot the game up at 6-6.
Wayne State College used single runs in the top of the sixth from a Gill RBI single scoring Douglas and top of the seventh when junior Braden Cannon scored on a wild pitch.
Final favored Wayne State College winning the nine-inning outing, 8-6 and outhit University of Mary, 10-7. WSC committed one error compared to three errors by UMary.
Taylor Gill singled twice, drove in a run and scored; Quinn McCafferty singled twice and drove in two runs; Kaden Young doubled, drove in a run and scored as Casey Prychak doubled and scored. Chase Douglas also singled, drove in two runs and scored twice.
Cam Madsen singled, drove in a run and scored; Braden Cannon singled and scored; Max Heard singled as Connor Hunt scored.
Junior Keinan Lentell (pitch count NA) picked up the win in three and a third innings of relief allowing one hit while striking out four batters and hitting one. Cannon earned his third save of the season in the final inning allowing one hit while striking out one batter. Redshirt freshman Wayne native Brooks Kneifl started the opening four and two-thirds allowing six runs (four earned) off five hits while striking out, walking and hitting two batters each.
