The Wayne State College Wildcat baseball team took three out of four games on the road from the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs this past weekend to improve to 20-8 on the year with a 15-3 record in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.
The series was a set of two doubleheaders on Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6. Game one on Saturday saw a dominant pitching performance from left hander Corbin Kirk, who pitched a complete, seven-inning game. Kirk allowed no runs on only four hits while striking out seven Bulldog batters on only 82 pitches.
The Wildcat offense was humming as well. All nine starters in the lineup got at least one hit and five of those Wildcats earned an RBI. The team totaled six runs, scoring two each in the third, fifth, and sixth, on eleven hits. The combined team performance led WSC to a 6-0 shutout victory.
Game two of the Saturday doubleheader saw the Wildcats continue their momentum both offensively and defensively. The WSC offense scored three runs in the third, consisting of a Colin Lynam walk with the bases loaded to bring home the first run, then Trey Wells hit a single to left in the next at bat to bring home two more runs.
Pitching momentum continued as well with Jackson Shelbourne, as the right hander pitched four scoreless innings while only allowing four hits and one walk while striking out three batters. WSC added a run in the top of the fifth to make it a 4-0 lead halfway through the contest.
Despite a pitching change for WSC, the Bulldogs were able to get the bats to come to life late in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, UMD outfielder Oran Hinkle hit a double to left center then shortly thereafter third baseman Gabe Richardson singled to the same area of the field to score Hinkle. The Bulldogs then loaded the bases, but after another pitching change, WSC was able to get the final out to hold a 4-1 lead after five frames.
Both offenses were stagnant until the Bulldogs stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. The WSC closer, Braden Cannon, was brought in to pitch the frame, and the Bulldogs were figuring hm out early. A quick double from Sam Kliber and RBI single Michael Gabbard from brought home Kliber.
Shortly after, Hinkle got a base via a fielding error, which put runners on second and third with the winning run coming to the plate. Richardson hit a sac fly to score Gabbard to make it 4-3. Cannon was able to get the final two outs to secure the save and the Wildcat victory.
Game one of the doubleheader on Sunday was slow to start for both offense, but they quicky came to life. WSC opened the scoring in the top of the third off a Carter Thomas single which scored Cannon. UMD tripled that offensive output in the bottom half of the frame, scoring three in the third and adding an insurance run in the fourth to make it 4-1 Bulldogs.
The Wildcats used a Chase Douglas double and Quinn McCafferty single to make it a one-run ball game after the sixth inning. In the top of the seventh, WSC was able to get runners on first and second with one out before the Bulldogs made a pitching change to right-hander Zach Kuseske, who got Cam Madsen to fly out to left and struck out Carter Thomas to end the game, handing the Wildcats the 4-3 loss.
Game two of the Sunday series started out with both teams plating a few runs. WSC got two in the first, one from a fielder’s choice and subsequent Bulldog fielding error, scoring Madsen, and another off Alex Calabrese drawing a walk with the bases loaded. The Bulldogs answered by getting a run in the first off a sac fly and one in the second from a Gabbard double scoring Kliber.
The game stayed tied at two apiece until the Wildcat bats exploded in the fifth, as WSC plated nine runs in the frame. Kaden Young started off the RBI train with a double to right, scoring Well and Colin Lynam, both of which drew walks earlier in the inning. Calabrese then drove Young home off a single and then proceeded to steal second base. Calabrese came around to score after Cannon, Cade Lynam, and Madsen all drew walks. Douglas singled with the bases juiced to score Cannon, then Colin Lynam drew the fifth walk of the inning to bring Cade Lynam home.
After a Bulldog pitching change, the Wildcats still continued to pour it on. Wells was hit by a pitch and McCafferty drew the sixth walk of the frame to plate Madsen and Douglas. Young drew the final run of the inning home off a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Colin Lynam.
The Bulldogs did not match this offensive outburst, only getting on more run in the bottom half of the fifth, and that is where the score stayed, giving WSC the 11-3 win and the series win three games to one.
With the results around the NSIC this past weekend, WSC sits atop the conference standings and currently holds a one game lead over the second place team, the Augustana Vikings, and a one and a half game lead over the Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks and the St. Cloud State Huskies, who are tied for third place.
The Wildcats are back in action this week with a doubleheader in Wayne against the 17-11 Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs on Wednesday, April 10. Game one is set to start at noon while game two is set to start at 2 p.m. Then this upcoming weekend, WSC is set for a three-game series against the 16-13 Concordia St. Paul Golden Bears, with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 13 and the series finale on Sunday, April 14.
