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Box Score 2 FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Wisconsin Lutheran College baseball team opened its 2014 season at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic Monday, splitting a doubleheader against Haverford (Pa.). The Warriors pounded out a 15-5 win in game one, before dropping game two, 5-2.
In game one, WLC wasted little time scoring its first runs of the season. Garrick Day (Elk Mound, Wis./Elk Mound) and Aaron Roeseler (Watertown, Wis./Luther Preparatory) were both able to reach base to lead off the inning before a Sam Mattheis (Rosendale, Wis./Laconia) single brought home Day. Brandon Mantz (West Bend, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) flew out to bring in Roeseler and give the Warriors an early 2-0 lead.
In the top of the second, Haverford cut its deficit in half following an RBI single by Marley Randazzo. WLC answered back with another pair of runs in the bottom of the inning, coming from a Roeseler two-run single to center.
Haverford again trimmed the Warriors' lead to a run in the third, but WLC again responded with a two-run single, this time off the bat of Jake Meyer (Sussex, Wis./Hamilton). Meyer later took advantage of a wild pitch to push the Warriors' lead to 7-2 through three innings.
Neither team would strike again until the sixth, when the Fords pushed across three runs to pull within two runs at 7-5. In the bottom of the sixth, WLC blew the game open, crossing home eight more times, including six runs with two outs. Jake Klemme (Plymouth, Wis./Plymouth) and Connor Vredeveld (Waterloo, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran) each had two-run singles in the frame.
Josh Ruppel (Belgium, Wis./Cedar Grove-Belgium) pitched 6.1 innings to earn his first win of the season, allowing eight hits and striking out one. Roeseler finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI, while Vredeveld scored three times and drove in two runs on 2-for-4 at the plate.
Michael de Armas took the loss for Haverford, surrendering six earned runs in 2.0 innings. Randazzo finished 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Haverford struck first in game two, scoring twice with two outs in the bottom of the second for the 2-0 advantage.
WLC got a run back in the third when Roeseler was able to record a single that brought around Vredeveld. Following a scoreless third, Korben Biersack (Greenfield, Wis./Greenfield) smacked a single down the right field line to score Brett Youngbeck (Brown Deer, Wis./Brown Deer) in the fourth and tie the game at 2-2.
In the fourth, Haverford broke through again, coming around to score three times and take a 5-2 lead. The Warriors stranded five runners on base throughout the remainder of the seven-inning game as they were unable to cut into Haverford's lead again, and fell by a final of 5-2.
Jaime Paumen (Glencoe, Minn./Silver-Lake) suffered the loss, letting in three earned runs in 6.0 innings of work. Day and Taylor Meyer (Sussex, Wis./Hamilton) both had two hits. Roeseler and Biersack each finished with one hit and one RBI.
Zach Taylor picked up the win for Haverford (2-2), striking out five and allowing just one earned run over 5.0 innings. Nick Miranda went 1-for-3 with two RBI, while Mike Tentilucci scored twice.
WLC (1-1) continues play at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic Tuesday with a 9 a.m. CST game against Cornell (Iowa) (2-2) and a 12 p.m. CST game against Kenyon (Ohio) (6-3).
