Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
MILWAUKEE - Following a 12-4 game one victory,
the Wisconsin Lutheran College baseball team rallied back from a
two-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning of game two to
seal an 8-7 victory and sweep over Lakeland College Saturday
afternoon at Neumann Family Field.
The Warriors got on the board in the first inning of game one
when senior Justin Barkhurst (Crete, Ill./Illinois Lutheran)
knocked in freshman Garrick Day (Elk Mound, Wis./Elk Mound) to take
an early 1-0 lead.
The Warriors offense caught fire in the fifth inning as they
broke a 1-1 tie and ended up scoring 11 runs over the final four
innings to secure the 12-4 victory.
Freshman starting pitcher Alex Raver (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett)
earned his fourth victory and third complete game of the season by
tossing nine innings, giving up four runs while striking out
four.
The WLC offense was led by freshman Cody Nevils (Boca Raton,
Fla./West Boca Raton), who hit two doubles, knocked in three runs
and scored three runs. Sophomore Doug Martin (West Bend,
Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) also scored three runs and senior
Ethan Geis (Fond du Lac, Wis./Winnebago Lutheran) went 2-for-3 with
two runs scored.
In game two, Lakeland jumped on Warriors sophomore starting
pitcher Josh Smith (Appleton, Wis./East) as it scored three runs on
two hits in the first inning. The Muskies added another run in the
third inning, but would be held scoreless by Smith until the final
inning.
Barkhurst knocked in Nevils in the bottom of the first, Martin
added an RBI single to score Geis in the second and Barkhurst
scored on an error in the third to account for the early scoring
for Wisconsin Lutheran. Lakeland held the 4-3 advantage before the
Warriors came to hit in the bottom of the seventh.
Nevils tied the game with an RBI triple which scored freshman
Josh Tanguay (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) in the bottom of the
seventh. Geis grabbed the lead for WLC in the bottom of the eighth
with an RBI single which scored freshman Ben Edmundson (Burlington,
Wis./Shoreland Lutheran), who earlier stole third to set up the
go-ahead run.
Lakeland finally knocked Smith out of the game as it rallied for
three runs in the ninth inning. Senior Matt Lang (East Troy,
Wis./East Troy) came in relief after two runners reached base for
LC. Without accumulating a hit, the Muskies used a wild pitch and
two sacrifice flies to grab a 7-5 lead.
Senior Ryan Pollesch (Markesan, Wis./Markesan) and Tanguay led
off the bottom of the ninth with singles to left field. Day placed
a bunt single down the third base line to load the bases with no
outs. Nevils promptly doubled home two runs to tie the game. With
first base open, Lakeland intentionally walked Barkhurst to load
the bases. Lang singled home the game-winning RBI to cap the rally
and seal the sweep for Wisconsin Lutheran.
Smith battled through eight innings, allowing seven hits, five
earned runs and struck out three. Lang was credited with the
victory as he limited the damage in the final frame, not allowing a
Muskie hit.
Nevils had three hits, three RBI and a run scored to lead WLC
offensively. Day, Barkhurst, Geis and Martin each contributed with
two hits apiece.
Wisconsin Lutheran (16-13, 7-5 NAC) travels to Verona, Wis.,
Monday for a NAC doubleheader against Edgewood College (13-17, 8-6
NAC). First pitch is set for 12 p.m. at Stampfl Field.
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
