The Wayne State University baseball team improved its season record to 7-1 after a 6-4 win over Lewis on Sunday in Millington, Tennessee. The victory came in the finale of a four-game series between the teams.
Wayne State started strong, building a 5-0 lead by the fourth inning. Owen Tuccinardi drove in Rhett Roeser with a ground out and Drew Hill singled home Bennett Hitzelberger for two early runs. In the third inning, Tony Hatzigeorgiou hit a single to center field that scored both Roeser and Tuccinardi. The Warriors added another run in the fourth when Hitzelberger’s sacrifice fly brought Ty Garza home.
Lewis responded with four runs across the fourth and fifth innings, narrowing Wayne State’s lead to one run. However, the Warriors extended their advantage in the eighth when Garza scored following a wild pitch.
Starting pitcher Gabe Nazelli threw 4.2 innings, allowing four runs—only one earned—on seven hits, walking three and striking out four over 92 pitches. Philip Miller was first out of the bullpen and earned his second win of the season after pitching three and one-third scoreless innings, giving up only two hits with five strikeouts on 46 pitches.
Rocco Cardinale closed out the game for his second career save and first this season by pitching a scoreless ninth inning with one strikeout on just seven pitches.
The Warriors are scheduled to play Findlay next weekend at Xavier’s Hayden Field in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Wayne State Warriors Men’s Baseball competes in NCAA Division II as part of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (official website). The team plays its home games in Detroit, Michigan (official website) and won the GLIAC Tournament title in 2010 (official website). Wayne State University’s athletic teams are known as the Warriors, with ‘W the Warrior’ serving as their mascot (official website).
