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 Ryan LaPensee was 2-for-4 with an RBI in the tournament loss to Findlay. |
May 9, 2008
MIDLAND, Mich. - The Wayne State baseball team (31-17) saw its hopes for a GLIAC tournament title slip away in the ninth inning as Findlay (28-20) rallied to defeat the top-seeded Warriors, 4-3, in an elimination game Friday night at Dow Diamond.
The Oilers erased a 3-2 deficit in the final inning as an RBI double by Jeff Peters tied the score and a bases loaded walk to Spencer Ferst gave Findlay a spot in Saturday's championship game against Grand Valley State.
Wayne State, meanwhile, totaled 11 hits in the game, two apiece coming from Ryan LaPensee (LaSalle, Ont./St. Thomas of Villanova), Matt Cunningham (Gregory, Mich./Chelsea), and Charlie Dunneback (Lansing, Mich./Grand Ledge).
Findlay gained an early 1-0 lead in the first, as WSU starter John Kessick (Niles, Mich.) was called for a balk with runners on the corners and Kyle Blessing came in to score.
Dunneback jump-started the Warriors' two-run third inning with a leadoff double to right. He would come in to score on a single by Drew Churchward (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer), who in turn scored on a base hit by LaPensee to give WSU a 2-1 advantage.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Chad Geuy smacked a one-out triple to right and scored on a wild pitch to tie it up in the fourth.
A pitching duel ensued over the next three innings, as Kessick and his counterpart Ryan Rothenbuhler allowed just one hit apiece in that span. The Warriors were able to manufacture a run in the eighth off reliever Troy Balduf, as Matthew Williams (Detroit, Mich./Royal Oak Shrine) walked, stole second, and came in on a base hit by Michael Wiseman (White Lake, Mich./Lakeland).
Kessick surrendered a leadoff double to Brian Sampsel before being lifted for Adam Kaminski (Clinton Twp., Mich./Mt. Clemens), who came over from first base. Sampsel would come in to score on Peters' double and, after an intentional walk to Jon Dollinger and an infield single by Ben Shelton, Ferst drew the bases-loaded walk to win the game.
Rothenbuhler gave up two runs on eight hits without walking a batter in seven innings of work. Balduf (3-2) worked the final two frames for the win.
Kessick, meanwhile, set season-highs for himself with 8.0 innings pitched and 10 strikeouts.
Wayne State, ranked fourth regionally entering the conference tournament, will now await the selection process for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional tournament next week.
NOTES
Wayne State is 21-17 all-time against Findlay ... Kessick totaled 135 pitches in his eight innings of work ... Churchward extended his hitting streak to five games ... LaPensee was 5-for-11 (.455) in the tournament ... Findlay, which avenged a first-round loss to WSU yesterday, must defeat GVSU twice tomorrow to claim the tournament title.