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 Charlie Dunneback drove in the game-winning run Wednesday at SVSU. |
April 30, 2008
UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The 18th-ranked Wayne State baseball team (30-13, 23-3 GLIAC) defeated Saginaw Valley State (29-13, 17-9 GLIAC), 3-2, in another nine-inning contest Wednesday in the second game of a doubleheader. Their victory, combined with an Ashland loss to Mercyhurst, clinched the 2008 GLIAC regular season title for the Warriors, their first since 2005.
Charlie Dunneback (Lansing, Mich./Grand Ledge) drove in the game-winning run with a one-out base hit in the top of the ninth, plating Brett Witczak (Hudsonville, Mich.) who led off the frame with a double. Anthony Bass (Trenton, Mich.), making just his second relief appearance of the season, gave up three singles in the bottom of the ninth before inducing a game-ending double play.
With their victory, the Warriors are locked in as the top seed for the GLIAC tournament May 8-10 in Midland. They are two wins shy of the overall school record of 32 and one conference victory away from matching that school mark as well.
Wayne State snapped a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth as Scott Martin (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) led off with a walk and, after an SVSU throwing error on a sacrifice bunt by Drew Churchward (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) put runners at second and third, Matthew Williams (Detroit, Mich./Royal Oak Shrine) brought in both runs with a base hit to left.
Starting pitcher Dane Little (Windsor, Ont./F.J. Brennan Catholic), who retired 13 straight after giving up a single in the first inning, gave up two runs on three hits in the sixth which knotted the score. After giving way to Bass in the seventh, the Warriors escaped a bases-loaded jam to keep the score tied at two. Danny Patterson was caught in a rundown along the third base line following a failed squeeze bunt attempt, while a subsequent two-out grounder to short ended the threat.
Little struck out five over 6.1 innings, while Bass (8-2) worked the final 2.2 innings for his second relief win of the year.
Wayne State will close out the 2008 regular season this weekend with a four-game set against Ashland.
NOTES
WSU is 51-57 all-time against SVSU ... Bass has made seven relief appearances in his WSU career ... Witczak extended his hitting streak to 12 games, longest on the team this season ... he also posted his team-high 16th multiple-hit game ... Wayne State totaled a season-high four sacrifice bunts ... Mercyhurst defeated Ashland, 9-1, in their second game Wednesday to ensure WSU's first-place finish.