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 Caleb Dalman was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base Sunday at Mercyhurst. |
March 30, 2008
ERIE, Pa. - The Wayne State baseball team (10-7, 8-0 GLIAC) earned its second consecutive four-game sweep of a conference series following Sunday afternoon's 5-2 victory at Mercyhurst (12-11, 1-7 GLIAC).
WSU starter John Kessick (Niles, Mich.) went the distance and took a shutout into the final inning, while Derek Ranck (Clarkston, Mich.) went 2-for-3 including his second home run of the day.
The Warriors, who had never swept a series against the Lakers prior to this weekend, are undefeated in GLIAC action this season.
Drew Churchward's (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) RBI single in the third broke the scoreless tie, and two more runs in the fourth gave WSU a 3-0 lead. Ranck, who hit a two-run homer in Sunday's first game, led off the inning with a solo shot to right. Later in the frame, a two-out base hit by Caleb Dalman (Hudsonville, Mich.) plated Adam Kaminski (Clinton Twp., Mich./Mt. Clemens).
In the top of the seventh, a bases loaded walk to Michael Wiseman (White Lake, Mich./Lakeland) and an RBI single by Ranck put the Warriors ahead by five.
After managing just two hits in the previous six innings against Kessick, the Lakers scored twice on five hits in the bottom of the seventh. A key double play, however, kept the damage to a minimum as Kessick (2-1) escaped with the win.
Wayne State has non-conference games scheduled this week, a doubleheader at St. Joseph's on Tuesday and a nine-inning contest Wednesday at Western Michigan. The Warriors will host Hillsdale in GLIAC action next weekend.
NOTES
Wayne State is 22-20 all-time against Mercyhurst ... the Warriors have won 12 conference games in a row dating back to last season, as WSU closed the 2007 campaign with a four-game sweep of Gannon ... Ranck has reached base safely in 11 straight games ... he raised his season batting average from .261 to .370 in that span ... Wayne State has outscored its opponents 51-13 in its current eight-game winning streak.