On Tuesday, the Purdue Northwest baseball team took on Wayne State (Mich.) in a conference matchup at Labors' Local 41 Field. Despite a fourth-inning rally, the Pride couldn't overcome a big early deficit, falling 14-4 to the Warriors.
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The Basics
- Records: Purdue Northwest (15-25), Wayne State (Mich.) (22-24)
- Location: Hammond, Indiana
- GLIAC Conference Game
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The Breakdown
- Ethan Imlach (Mokena, Ill./Mount Carmel) continued to swing a hot bat, collecting two hits and driving in a run with an infield single in the fourth inning.
- Brayden Barrett (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) added a key two-RBI single in the fourth, helping the Pride cut into an early 8-0 deficit.
- Drake Ballard (Louisville, Ky./Martha Laynes Collins) knocked in a run in the seventh with a single to right-center.
- Jax Kalemba (Chicago, Ill./Andrean) scored twice and drew two walks, providing a spark in the lineup.
- Josh Damian (Blue Island, Ill./Eisenhower) got the start on the mound and was charged with the loss after allowing six runs (two earned) in 1.2 innings.
- AJ Reid (Highland, Ind./Highland) and Barrett each committed defensive errors as the Pride allowed three unearned runs.
- Wayne State's D. Hill had a monster day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs.
- R. Paulina and J. Dale also went deep for the Warriors, who totaled 12 hits on the day.
- W. DeMasse earned the win in relief, striking out four across 2.2 innings.
- Wayne State jumped out to a commanding 6-0 lead in the second inning, capitalizing on two Purdue Northwest errors and a pair of RBI singles. They extended their lead with solo home runs in the third by Paulina and Hill.
- Purdue Northwest answered in the fourth with a three-run rally. After a walk and a single, Barrett drove in two with a base hit to right. Imlach followed with an infield single to bring home Guiliano, making it 8-3.
- The Warriors struck again in the fifth with back-to-back two-run home runs from Hill and Dale, pushing their lead to 12-3. They added two more in the sixth, one on a wild pitch and another on an RBI single from Arbogast.
- The Pride managed one more run in the seventh when Ballard's single scored Kalemba, but the deficit was too large to overcome.
- In total, Purdue Northwest managed six hits and drew eight walks but left 12 runners on base. Defensive miscues and untimely pitching ultimately cost them against a potent Wayne State offense.
Up Next:
The Pride will return to action on Friday, May 2, as they begin a weekend series on the road against Saginaw Valley State University in University Center, Michigan. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 PM CT.
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