FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Indiana Tech baseball team hosted the WHAC's top-seeded RV University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) in a doubleheader at Warrior Baseball Field on Saturday afternoon, where the Warriors would take both games in thrilling fashion.
In game one, the Warriors would get things started in the third inning with a two RBI single from
Eli MacDonald.
Tristan Osika would drive in a third run for the Warriors and
Parker Bates would hit an RBI double to center field to bring the Tech lead to 5-0. UNOH would hit two solo home runs in the fourth to cut the lead to three, but MacDonald would pick up another RBI in the bottom half of the inning to get one back for the Warriors. UNOH would again start to claw back in the top of the fifth inning, scoring twice, but the Warriors would answer again in the bottom of the inning.
Luke Huerta (2) and
Ethan Nielson would both pick up RBI singles to give Tech a 9-4 lead through five.
Ben Morrison would add to more runs for the Orange & Black with a two RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. Tech starting pitcher
Grant Besser would shut down the Racers in the seventh on his way to a complete game 11-4 victory. Besser would finish the game allowing four runs on six hits, striking out ten batters in seven innings to earn his fourth win of the season. Huerta and MacDonald would standout offensively for the Warriors. Huerta would finish the game three-for-four at the plate with two RBI's and two runs scored, while MacDonald would go two-for-three with a walk, three RBI's and a run scored.
Game two would be a high scoring, thrilling affair with 21 total runs in the contest. The Racers would start ahead, getting off to a 5-1 lead through four innings. The Warriors bats would reawaken from game one in the fifth and sixth innings of game two. Pinch hitter
Brycen Hannah would make it 3-5 with a two RBI single to right field in the fifth. The sixth inning changed the game, turning in the Warriors favor. Tech would bat through the lineup in the inning, scoring eight runs!
Luke Huerta (2),
Tyler Stahl,
Parker Bates,
Alex Watkins (2), and Bryce Stultz (2) would all pick up RBI's in the bottom of the sixth as the Warriors came from behind to take an 11-5 lead to the seventh. The Racers wouldn't go down easily though, scoring three runs in the seventh on a three-run bomb to right center. UNOH would then score two more in the top of the eighth to bring them within one. After failing to add any insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, the Warriors would take a one run lead to the ninth.
Seth Leininger would pitch the final inning for Tech putting the Racers down one, two, three to secure the victory for the Warriors and earning a five-out save.
Adam Besser would pick up the win in relief of starting pitcher
Zach Zaborowski, his second of the year. Besser would finish with 2.2 innings pitches, allowing three runs on five hits, while picking up four strikeouts in 15 batters faced. Zaborowski would go 4.0 innings with five runs, eight hits, and nine strikeouts. Stultz and
Ben Morrison would record multi-hit games for the Orange & Black with Stultz picking up two RBI's and one run scored, while Morrison scored two runs for the Warriors in three at bats.
The Warriors improve to 19-18 overall on the season and 16-4 in WHAC play after the two massive wins over the Racers. Tech will now play the WHAC's second place team Concordia University on the road tomorrow, April 14
th in a doubleheader starting at 1pm
- TECH -