Warriors Suffer Pair Of One-Run Setbacks In Florida

FT. MYERS, Fla. - The Wisconsin Lutheran College baseball team suffered a pair of heartbreaking one-run defeats on Saturday, falling to Hiram 8-7 and Bluffton 4-3 in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic at Terry Park.

THE BASICS

• Final Scores: Hiram 8, Wisconsin Lutheran 7; Bluffton 4, Wisconsin Lutheran 3
• Records: Wisconsin Lutheran (4-4), Hiram (1-7), Bluffton (4-4)
• Location: Terry Park, Ft. Myers, Fla.

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS

• The Warriors carried a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the third inning vs. the Terriers, who then plated four runs on four hits. Two of Hiram's runs in the frame were unearned.
• WLC knotted the score at 5-5 in the fourth on RBIs from Jake Grollo (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) and Joe Hanson (La Crosse, Wis./Logan).
• Hiram took the lead back for good in its half inning on back-to-back run-scoring hits for a 7-5 lead.
• WLC threatened to tie the game in the eighth after a Grollo solo homerun and then left the eventual tying run on third base.
• Matt Wick (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) went 3-for-4 in the game, while Grollo, Hanson, and Brett Jakel (Reeseville, Wis./Waterloo) each had two hits. Grollo drove in two runs and scored three times. Hanson also drove in a pair.
• Cameron Paladines (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) took the loss for WLC as he allowed seven runs, four earned, on 11 hits in 3.1 innings. He struckout two.

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS

• Wisconsin Lutheran carried a 3-2 lead into the eighth inning before the Beavers scored twice on RBI singles to jump in front 4-3.
• The Warriors led off the ninth with a double from Ryan Stancl (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) but he was left stranded at second when the game came to a close.
• Stancl led the Warriors with two hits in the game, while five other players also recorded one hit.
• Connor Rosin (Bonduel, Wis./Bonduel) went 8.0 innings and gave up four runs while striking out three and walking one and handed the loss.

FOR THE FOES

• The Terriers' Brandon Chesmar went 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. Hiram had two players with two hits each and two others with two RBI.
• Justin Joyce earned the win in relief, tossing 4.0 innings, surrendering two runs on four hits while fanning three.
• Brandon Marable was 2-for-2 with two runs scored for Bluffton. Raymond Richard picked up the win in relief by working 3.0 innings. He allowed just one hit and struckout two. Travis Clark closed the door for his first save of the season.

UP NEXT

• Wisconsin Lutheran wraps up its Florida trip on Saturday with a single game vs. Thiel (5-2) at 9 a.m. EST. The game will be streamed live on WLCSports.com.