MILWAUKEE - The Wisconsin Lutheran College baseball team suffered a heartbreaking ninth-inning defeat to cap a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Marian Monday at Neumann Family Field. The Sabres - who played as the home team after the games were moved from their home field - claimed a 13-0 run-rule victory in game one before scoring three runs in the ninth to take game two 6-5.
Marian (7-5, 2-0 NACC) scored five first-inning runs against Warriors' (7-6, 2-2 NACC) starting pitcher Joey Hodkiewicz (Burlington, Wis./Burlington) in game one. Chad Langley hit an RBI double, Adam Ryan knocked a run-scoring single, and Ryan Blise capped the inning with a bases-clearing, three-run double down the left field line.
Tony Grannis added a two-run single to center in the second to extend the lead to 7-0. The Sabres piled on five more runs in the fifth, as Ryan hit a sacrifice fly, Ty Gellinger belted a three-run double, and Jordan DeBoer brought Gellinger home with a double to make it 12-0. Tyler Oren's fielder's choice grounder in the sixth tacked on the final run, and the game ended via run rule after seven innings.
Marian pitcher Sam Forkert (2-0) went 4.1 innings without allowing a hit before Korben Biersack's (Greenfield, Wis./Greenfield) one-out single in the fifth. Forkert threw a four-hit shutout, struck out two, and walked three. DeBoer, Grannis, Ryan, and Chase Eagan recorded two hits apiece for the Sabres, and Gellinger and Blise each drove in three runs.
Hodkiewicz (1-1) took the loss after allowing 12 runs, 11 earned in 4.2 innings. Nolan Friend (Burlington, Wis./Burlington) gave up a run on three hits in 1.1 innings of relief.
The Warriors struck first in game two of the twinbill. Sam Mattheis (Rosendale, Wis./Laconia) drove in a run with a fielder's choice grounder in the third to put WLC ahead 1-0. In the fifth, Brett Youngbeck (Brown Deer, Wis./Brown Deer) and Brandon Mantz (West Bend, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) each delivered two-run singles to push the lead to 5-0.
The Sabres answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, scoring one run on a wild pitch and another on Langley's double to left. Ryan's RBI double to left in the eighth pulled Marian to within 5-3 before its ninth-inning rally.
Marian loaded the bases in the ninth on a single and a pair of walks, and cut the lead to 5-4 on a bases-loaded walk by Gellinger. The next batter, Langley, hit a walk-off two-run single to hand the Sabres a dramatic 6-5 victory.
Jaime Paumen (Glencoe, Minn./Silver Lake) started on the mound for the Warriors and held Marian to two runs on nine hits in 6.1 innings for a no-decision. He struck out four and walked one. Andrew Iverson (Janesville, Wis./Craig) gave up three runs on three hits in 1.2 innings and gave way to Mantz during the ninth-inning jam. Mantz (0-1) took the loss as he allowed the game-winning run on one hit and walked two batters.
Garrick Day (Elk Mound, Wis./Elk Mound) was 2-for-4 with a run scored and Mantz and Youngbeck each drove in a pair of runs for WLC.
Brandon Winfield (2-1) pitched a complete game for the victory and surrendered five runs, four earned, on seven hits in nine innings. He struck out seven and walked four. Ryan was 4-for-4 with a double and Langley was 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI.
Wisconsin Lutheran travels to Beloit (7-5) for a non-conference doubleheader Tuesday beginning at 1 p.m. at The Ballpark at Strong Stadium.
