ADRIAN, Mich. -- The Siena Heights baseball team defeated Indiana Wesleyan in two non-conference games, on Tuesday. The Saints won the first game in seven innings 4-1. The second game of the double-header went into 11 innings, SHU prevailed with a score of 3-2.
In the first game, the first couple innings were relatively quiet. The game began to change when both Zach Dunlop and Carson Wlad were walked in the bottom of the third, with two outs. Nathaniel Kraus went in to pinch run for Dunlop. Matthew Bondy sent a line drive through center field to send Kraus home. After Bondy and Wlad advanced on a passed ball, Travis Stricklin hit the game-changing shot through the center to bring in Wlad and Bondy. To close out the inning for the Saints, Austin Forsythe singled through left center to send Stricklin home.
The Wildcats (13-6) responded quickly, scoring off of a SHU error in the top of the fourth. However, they couldn't catch up to the Saints efforts. The strong SHU defense never let the opponents advance past first base for the remainder of the game.
Kyle Kuhr earned the win on the mound for the Saints after pitching for the first six innings. Kuhr threw for 6 strikeouts and allowed only three hits. Ben Finn earned a save for SHU striking one of three batters faced in the final inning.
The Saints (6-3) earned eight hits and one error in the first game while the Wildcats earned three hits and committed no errors.
In the fourth inning of the second game the Saints started to string together their hits. Joe Williams opened with a single through left field. After a sac-bunt by Dan Muller, Bondy hit a double to center field that sent Williams home. Kraus then hit a line-drive through right center, sending Bondy home and strengthening SHU's lead to 2-0.
After the Wildcats went three up, three down in the top of the fourth, they faught back in the sixth scoring on a SHU error. Shomon hit into a double-play but still managed to send Shaffer home to tie the score up 2-2 for the Wildcats.
As the seventh inning finished, the score was still tied. About four or five batters went up for each team through the ninth inning, no one advancing past second base. In the bottom of the 10th inning, the Saints loaded the bases with no outs. The Wildcats shutdown the Saints by forcing Bondy out at home and Hall pitching two strikeouts to the final two SHU batters.
Freddy Jehle oppened up Siena's opportunity in the 11th by forcing IWU's third baseman to make an error, keeping Jehle safe. Jehle then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Williams sealed the Wildcats fate with a single through left center that sent Jehle home.
Justin McPherson pitched the first seven innings allowing one earned run while striking out five batters. John Kavanagh earned the win for SHU with two strikeouts in his four innings on the mound.
Siena earned 15 hits and one error to Indiana Wesleyan's six hits and two errors.
Next up, the Saints will host Rochester for a four game series on Saturday and Sunday. Both days will hold a double-header, the first pitch set for 1 p.m.
