The Wayne State baseball team opened the 2017 season Saturday with a doubleheader split against Newman University in Wichita, Kan., losing the opener 7-4 and taking the nightcap 12-10.
In the first game, the Wildcats got out to a 3-0 lead before Newman answered with seven unanswered runs late in the game.
The Wildcats opened with a solo homer in the third by Tandon Dorn, and made it 3-0 in the fourth when Cody Castro stroked a two-run double, scoring Bryce Bisenius and David Janes.
Newman took advantage of Wayne State defensive miscues and scored three in the fourth, three in the fifth and another in the sixth to take a 7-3 lead. Tanner Simons had an RBI double in the seventh and Wayne State had the tying run on first with two outs before Newman got out of the jam to pick up the win.
Dorn was 2-for-3 with a double and a homer and scored twice for Wayne State. Castro and Simons both had RBI hits to highlight a seven-hit attack. Bobby St. Pierre took the loss on the mound, allowing five runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
In the nightcap, Wayne State trailed 7-3 in the third before rallying for the win.
Wayne State trailed 4-0 in the first before scoring three runs on a two-run single by Chris May and a sacrifice fly from Aaron Krier.
Newman rebuilt the lead to 7-3 in the third and it stayed that way until the sixth when Wayne State got three runs, two on a Krier single and the third on a Dorn double, then scored four in the seventh to take the lead for good. Bodie Cooper had a two-run single, Janes scored on a wild pitch and Kyle Thompson had a sacrifice fly to give Wayne State the 10-7 lead.
Wayne State added two more in the eighth on a Simons double and a Cooper sacrifice fly to close out the win.
Cooper went 3-for-3 and scored three times while Krier and Dorn each had two hits to highlight a 12-hit attack for the 1-1 Wildcats. Keenan Breen got the win in relief, pitching 4 1/3 innings. Joey Lenihan picked up the save with a spotless ninth inning.
The Wildcats are back on the road next weekend with games Saturday and Sunday at Missouri S&T in Rolla, Mo.
