HAMMOND, Ind. – Purdue Northwest couldn't build on early momentum in Friday's 7-2 loss to Wayne State in the weekend series opener.

The two teams will meet Saturday for another GLIAC showdown at Dowling Park. Game 1 of the doubleheader is slated for a 1 p.m. CDT first pitch. PNW fell to 9-17 (3-14 GLIAC) overall while Wayne State improved to 17-8 (9-4 GLIAC).

Ray Hansen's RBI single in the opening frame got things going for PNW as the Pride led 1-0 through the fourth inning. Hansen singled up the middle in his first at-bat to bring around Jake Soules from second base. Soules reached on an infield single and then swiped second base to move into scoring position.

However, that was the only offense the Pride would get other than Riley Gallagher's RBI groundout in the eighth. Wayne State's Dillon McInerney tossed the nine-inning complete game and scattered five hits. The right-hander struck out six and only walked one batter on the day, improving his record to 5-1.

Wayne State scored a run with two outs in each of the fifth and sixth frames to take the 2-1 lead. The Warriors then put the game out of reach with four runs on four hits in the seventh. PNW nearly got out of the jam by trailing 3-1, but a two-out throwing error allowed two runs to score and that was followed by a two-out RBI double to put the Warriors ahead, 6-1. The visitors would tack on another insurance run in the ninth.

PNW's Anthony Noble recorded another quality start in what may be his final appearance at Dowling Park this season. The sophomore right-hander went six innings and allowed only two earned runs on five hits. Noble has only surrendered more than two earned runs once in five consecutive starts on the mound after transitioning to the rotation.

Hunter Thorn logged the only extra-base hit for the Pride with a lead-off double down the left-field line in the bottom of the eighth. Thorn finished 2-for-2 and reached three times by drawing the lone walk issued by McInerney. Hansen extended his active reached-base streak to a team-best 10 games.

Wayne State's Rudy Ramirez went 3-for-3 to lead the Warriors at the plate.

NEXT UP
First pitch for Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. CDT. Both games will air live on JEDtv.com.