Warriors Split Tuesday Twinbill With Tomcats

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Wisconsin Lutheran College baseball team continued play at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic Tuesday, splitting its doubleheader against Thiel (Pa.). The Warriors earned a 5-3 game one victory, before falling in game two 11-7.

THE BASICS

• Final Scores: Wisconsin Lutheran 5, Thiel 3; Thiel 11, Wisconsin Lutheran 7 
• Records: Wisconsin Lutheran (2-2), Thiel (3-1) 
• Location: Park T. Pigott Field, Fort Myers, Fla.

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS

• The Warriors once again got the bats going early in the first inning as Connor Vredeveld (Waterloo, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran) singled to left and then scored on an error. 
• Sam Mattheis (Rosendale, Wis /Laconia) reached first on an error that scored Aaron Roeseler (Watertown, Wis./Luther Preparatory) as WLC jumped out to a 2-0 lead.
• Wisconsin Lutheran took advantage of Thiel miscues in the second as Brandon Mantz (West Bend, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) and Josiah Boucher (Menasha, Wis./Menasha) scored on a pair of errors. A single by Roeseler scored Vredeveld as the Warriors gained a 5-0 advantage. 
• The Tomcats got on the board in the fifth when Trent Mosley and Ryan Brumbaugh hit a pair of doubles to drive in two runs. 
• Thiel got another run back in the sixth on a Josh Doody single to cut the Warriors' lead to 5-3. 
• WLC had the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, but failed to score any insurance runs.
• In the seventh, Brian Genco reached first on an error for Thiel as Brock Vredeveld (Waterloo, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran) came in to record the save. Trent Smith struck out looking to end the game as Vredeveld preserved the victory for WLC.

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS

• In game two, the Tomcats got on the board first on an error that scored Bryan Mitchell in the first inning.
• Wisconsin Lutheran loaded the bases in the next frame and used a Matt Wick (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) sacrifice fly to left that scored Zack Skog (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire) to tie the game at 1-1.
• Thiel took the lead back in the bottom of the inning on a Genco single. 
• The Warriors bats heated up in the fourth as Skog led off with a double, and Brock Vredeveld reached with a bunt single. Wick then scored both with a single to left. Connor Vredeveld earned an RBI on a fielder's choice that scored Brock Vredeveld, and Wick scored on an error as WLC took a 4-2 lead.
• The Tomcats took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth as Doody and Mitchell had RBIs to take a 5-4 lead.
• In the fifth, Thiel scored six runs on seven hits as it batted around in the inning.
• Wisconsin Lutheran scored a run in the sixth as Roeseler singled to left to score Brock Vredeveld.
• WLC had the bases loaded in the seventh, and Josiah Boucher (Menasha, Wis./Menasha) doubled to left to score two, but the rally came to an end with a game-ending strikeout.

QUICK HITS

• Over both games of the doubleheader, Roeseler went a combined 4-for-7 with two RBI, a walk, and run scored.
• In game one, the Warriors took advantage of eight Thiel errors. 
• Trent Mosely had two hits for the Tomcats with an RBI and a run scored. 
• Joey Hodkiewicz (Burlington, Wis./Burlington) earned the win for Wisconsin Lutheran as he went 6.0 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits with a strikeout and a walk.
• Jaden Nozicka took the loss for the Tomcats in 5.1 innings pitched as he allowed five runs on four hits and had a strikeout and two walks.
• Brock Vredeveld earned the save for the Warriors in his collegiate pitching debut. 
• In game two, Brock Vredeveld went 4-for-4 with two runs scored. 
• Mosely, Bryan Mitchell, and Matt Elko had two hits apiece for Thiel as they had 14 hits as a team. 
• Travis Stahulak (Lake Geneva, Wis./Badger) took the loss for WLC. Pat Duncan notched the win for the Tomcats and allowed three hits and a run to go along with three strikeouts.

UP NEXT

• The Warriors have Wednesday off before resuming play Thursday with a single game against Gettysburg (Pa.) (3-1). First pitch is set for 9 a.m. CST.