The Wayne State University baseball team saw its 11-game winning streak come to an end on March 22 after a 5-1 defeat against Parkside. The Warriors, ranked seventh nationally and holding a 19-3 overall record (3-1 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference), will continue their road schedule next week with a four-game series at Davenport.
This result is significant as it marks the first conference loss for Wayne State this season, highlighting the competitive nature of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, where the program competes at the NCAA Division II level according to the official website.
Wayne State scored its only run in the top of the first inning when Bennett Hitzelberger crossed home plate on a passed ball. Parkside responded by tying the game in their half of the first inning and then added three runs in the fourth and another in the eighth. Alfredo Velazquez was Wayne State’s only player with multiple hits, going two-for-three at bat. Additional hits came from Nick Sandiha Jr., Hitzelberger, and Owen Tuccinardi, each recording one hit in four at-bats.
Starting pitcher Macio Miller took his first loss of the season after allowing two earned runs on four hits over his outing. Relievers Nick Baker, Will DeMasse, and Philip Miller combined for several innings of work but could not prevent Parkside from extending their lead.
The Wayne State Warriors Men’s Baseball team plays its home games in Detroit, Michigan according to the official website. The program captured the GLIAC Tournament title in 2010 and operates under ‘Warriors’ as its nickname with ‘W the Warrior’ serving as mascot according to information from their official site.
Looking ahead, Wayne State will seek to rebound during its upcoming series against Davenport as it continues conference play.
