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 Ryan LaPensee had two hits and three stolen bases Sunday against GVSU. |
April 20, 2008
DETROIT - After falling behind by six runs early in Sunday's finale, the Wayne State baseball team (23-12, 18-2 GLIAC) scored nine runs over the final three innings to secure a 9-8 victory and take three out of four games from 10th-ranked Grand Valley State (26-10, 12-6 GLIAC).
Every WSU starter had at least one hit, with Ryan LaPensee (LaSalle, Ont./St. Thomas of Villanova) and Charlie Dunneback (Lansing, Mich./Grand Ledge) collecting two each.
The Lakers scored three times in the first inning and again in the third to take a 6-0 lead, but the Warriors began to mount a comeback with a four-run fourth inning. RBI doubles by Adam Kaminski (Clinton Twp., Mich./Mt. Clemens) and Matt Cunningham (Gregory, Mich./Chelsea) as well as a two-run single by Dunneback were among WSU's five hits in the frame, knocking GVSU staring pitcher Brad Raj out of the game.
Pat Radde was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth, but Wayne State was quick to answer as Matthew Williams (Detroit, Mich./Royal Oak Shrine) tripled and scored on a groundout by LaPensee.
In the sixth inning, after GVSU scored yet another run, the Warriors grabbed a 9-8 lead with four runs aided by a Laker error. Drew Churchward (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) drove in two with a base hit up the middle and, after LaPensee was intentionally walked to load the bases, Michael Wiseman (White Lake, Mich./Lakeland) brought in Scott Martin (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) with a single to left. LaPensee eventually scored the go-ahead run when Brett Witczak (Hudsonville, Mich.) was hit by a pitch with the bases full.
Kaminski, who was 1-for-2 with two walks, came over from first base to shut down the Lakers in the seventh for his third save of the year. He relieved David White (Taylor, Mich./Kennedy), who recorded the final out of the sixth inning and was credited with the win (1-1).
Wayne State will host Tiffin for a non-conference doubleheader Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. before Northwood comes to Detroit next weekend for a four-game GLIAC series.
NOTES
The Warriors had not taken three games from the Lakers in a series since 1997 ... Churchward and Witczak had at least one hit in all four games over the weekend ... LaPensee matched his career-high with three stolen bases ... Churchward was hit by a pitch for a team-high eighth time in the third inning ... with 10 conference games remaining, the Warriors have already exceeded their GLIAC win total from a year ago (17).