Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Wayne State 17 West Liberty State (W.Va.) 4
The Wayne State College baseball team snapped a three-game losing streak Wednesday evening with a 17-4 win over West Liberty State of West Virginia at the Savannah Spring Break Invitational in Savannah, Georgia. The Wildcats banged out 15 hits and used 12 walks by three different West Liberty pitchers to score 17 runs. WSC is now 5-5 on the season with West Liberty dropping to 1-9.
WSC scored two runs in the first, four in the second and third, three in the sixth and two each in the eighth and ninth innings. John Plasha's two-run single was the key hit in the four-run second inning. Plasha then belted a three-run homer in the fourth to cap a 2 for 4 night at the plate with five RBI's. In the sixth inning, Brandon Polk laced a two-run triple to right field followed by an RBI single from Jake Ritzdorf. Josh Yost had a two-run single in the ninth.
The Wildcats had 15 hits in the game to 12 for West Liberty. Plasha's 2 for 4 night with five RBI's was one of six players to record two hits for the Wildcats. Polk finished 2 for 3 with three runs scored and two RBI's while Alex Koch, Jake Ritzdorf, Joe Wendte and Josh Yost also notched two hits each for WSC.
Tom Doran (1-0) earned the pitching win, working 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed four hits and struck out one batter. Reid Lancaster started the game, pitching four innings. He gave up three runs on six hits with two strikeouts and three walks. Matt Hilligas pitched 2/3 of an inning, yielding one run on two hits. Jim Sake worked a perfect ninth inning, striking out one.
Wayne State will face West Liberty State again on Thursday morning starting at 10:00 a.m.