Warriors Suffer Pair Of One-Run Setbacks To Yellow Jackets

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WLCSports.com) – The Wisconsin Lutheran College baseball team was stung by a pair of one-run setbacks to the Defiance Yellow Jackets on Tuesday afternoon at the Lee County Player Development Complex. The Warriors fell by scores of 3-2 and 4-3 after stranding nine runners on base in game one and 12 on base in game two.

• Final Scores: Defiance 3, Wisconsin Lutheran 2; Defiance 4, Wisconsin Lutheran 3
• Records: Wisconsin Lutheran (0-5), Defiance (4-2)
• Location: Lee County Player Development Complex, Fort Myers, Fla.

• The Warriors grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning after sophomore Josh Enevold (Jackson, Wis.) singled home sophomore Ethan Orcutt (East Dubuque, Ill.) with two outs.
• The Yellow Jackets jumped in front with two runs in the third after scoring on a fielder's choice throwing error and sacrifice fly to right field.
• Defiance added an insurance run in the fifth after a two-out infield single for a 3-1 lead.
• WLC loaded the bases in the fifth with just one out, but the Yellow Jackets turned an inning-ending double-play to escape without any damage.
• Wisconsin Lutheran worked out of its own bases loaded jam in the top of the seventh and came within a run after Enevold scored on a wild pitch on a senior Brannigan Hart (Davie, Fla.) walk in the bottom half. The Green and White left the tying run on second when the game ended on a flyout to center.
• Evevold finished 2-for-3 with a RBI and run scored, while Hart was on base three times with three walks. Sophomore Fabio Kamitani (Naviraí, Brazil) struck out three over 5.2 innings but was dealt the loss.

• The Warriors had four straight batters reach with one out in the first inning, including three who singled, but came away with just one run. Sophomore Nick Poblocki (Bartlett, Ill.) singled home sophomore Ryan Dominick (Bartlett, Ill.) for the 1-0 lead.
• The Yellow Jackets answered quickly in their half of the first, scoring three times on just two hits. DC took advantage of an error and a walk for the two-run lead after one inning.
• WLC knotted the score at 3-3 in the fourth when junior Jayson Walczak-Zelem's (Oak Creek, Wis.) single to left and misplay by the left fielder brought home sophomore Evan Sadowski (New Berlin, Wis.) and Enevold.
• Wisconsin Lutheran loaded the bases after two outs in the fifth with a walk and back-to-back singles, but a strikeout ended the scoring threat.
• Defiance went ahead 4-3 in its half of the fifth with a two-out RBI single to left center.
• The Yellow Jackets threatened with a runner on third and just one out in the sixth, but a strikeout and groundout ended any chance of an insurance run.
• The Green and White loaded the bases again with one down in the seventh, but Defiance forced an infield fly and a foul out to avoid any runs scoring and escaped with another one-run win.
• Hart and sophomore Matthew Schulenburg (Hampshire, Ill.) had two hits each for the Warriors. Evan Theis (Richfield, Wis.) suffered the loss in his collegiate debut, allowing four runs on six hits over 5.0 innings.

• Lucas Thomeier recorded two of the Yellow Jackets' five hits in the opener with one RBI. Michael Reese worked around five walks in 4.1 innings while allowing two hits to pick up the win. Jack Powell gave up one run but earned the save despite throwing 36 pitches in the final frame.
• Josh Vischer went 2-for-2 with a run scored for Defiance in game two, while Daniel Tomalak went 5.0 innings allowing three runs to collect the win. Zac Brazen escaped out of his own bases loaded jam to earn the save.

• The Warriors have Wednesday off before returning to the Player Development Complex on Thursday for two games against Coast Guard (2-2). First pitch of the twinbill is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. CST. Live stats will be available for both games at WLCSports.com.