The season came to a disappointing end for the Wayne State baseball team Thursday after suffering a pair of heartbreaking extra-inning losses in the Northern Sun Conference baseball tournament at St. Cloud, Minn.
In the first game, a controversial call at first base that resulted in the ejection of coach Alex Koch turned out to be the game-winning run for Minnesota State in the bottom of the 11th as the Mavericks outlasted the Wildcats 3-2.
Wayne State pitcher Aiden Breedlove and Minnesota State’s Brody Rodning engaged in a solid pitchers’ duel early in the game. Neither team managed a hit until the fifth inning, and Breedlove allowed just two walks in the first four innings.
Minnesota State broke the ice in the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer by Hunter Walsh. Wayne State got its first hit in the sixth on a Peyton Barnes single and had two runners on in the inning before coming up empty. They had two runners on in the eighth, but again failed to score, and the Mavericks got a run off Keenan Breen in the bottom of the inning to lead 2-0.
The Wildcats rallied to tie the game in the top of the ninth. David Janes double and was replaced by pinch-runner Mitch Gullikson. He and Tanner Simons, who walked, scored on a Bodie Cooper double to left center to tie the game, and the Wildcats got out of a two-on, two-out jam in the bottom of the inning to send it to extra frames.
Wayne State had the go-ahead run on third in the 10th after Barnes doubled and moved to third, but a controversial call in the 11th inning resulted in the ejection of Koch. Minnesota State got two on and Wayne State intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases. Bobby St. Pierre worked a full count to Hunter Harnisch, who was hit by a 3-2 pitch to score the winning run and end the game.
Cooper had a two-run double while Barnes went 2-for-4 with a double and single to lead a five-hit attack. Janes doubled and Tandon Dorn singled.
Breedlove pitched seven standout innings in a start for the Wildcats, giving up just one run on three hits with eight strikeouts and three walks. Breen worked the eighth inning and was charged with one run on two hits. St. Pierre suffered the loss, working the final 2 1/3 innings. He gave up five hits and one run while walking one batter.
The Wildcats again went to extra innings in a losers bracket game that evening, and Minnesota Duluth used three runs in the 10th to end the Wildcats’ season with a 5-2 defeat.
The Bulldogs scored first in the top of the third on a double and sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead, but Wayne State came back in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game. Aaron Krier’s sacrifice fly scored Dorn to make it 1-1. Wayne State could have done more damage, but left the bases loaded in the inning.
Duluth got a run in the eighth to take the lead again, but Wayne State came back in the bottom of the eighth as Cooper doubled home Simons to make it 2-2. Again, Wayne State let a chance for further damage go by as they left the bases loaded.
Minnesota Duluth put the game out of reach in the 10th, using a three-run homer to take the lead and go on to the win, knocking Wayne State out of the tournament and ending their season.
Krier led a 12-hit effort with a 2-for-4 performance, including a pair of doubles and one RBI. Simons, Jackson Petersen and Cooper each went 2-for-5 with a double, with Cooper getting one RBI. Barnes, Cody Jenkins and Kyle Thompson each added singles.
Teague McFadden fired 7 1/3 innings and allowed just three hits and two runs with six strikeouts and three walks. Breen faced one batter in the eighth inning and was charged with one hit. Kyle Kennebeck was tagged with the pitching loss, allowing three runs on three hits over 2 2/3 innings of work with six strikeouts and no walks.
Wayne State ends the season with a 29-24 record.
