Baseball splits doubleheader with Michigan-Dearborn

(Rochester Hills, MI) - The Rochester Christian baseball team took on the Michigan-Dearborn Wolverines in the first two of a four-game series. 

GAME 1 - ROCHESTER CHRISTIAN 3, MICHIGAN-DEARBORN 1

Lance Jones (3-0) started and finished the game on the mound for the Warriors, pitching a complete game, allowing a sole run and six total base runners, while striking out a career high 11 Wolverines.

After a quick 1-2-3 first inning on both sides, RCU tallied the first two runs in the game with Beau Falkenhagen hitting a ball to deep right center field to score Dakota Shafer. Two batters later, Falkenhagen would come around to score on a double play. 

Jones continued to deal on the mound for RCU, with the Wolverines' sole run coming on a home run in the fourth inning. 

Beau Falkenhagen once again aided the offense in the bottom of the fourth inning with a deep home run to left center field, making it 4-1. 

Jones would finish out the final three innings with four strikeouts to only two base runners left on base. 

GAME 2 - MICHIGAN-DEARBORN 13, ROCHESTER CHRISTIAN 10

Dakota Shafer started the game on the mound for the Warriors, pitching four innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits with five strikeouts. 

The bottom of the first inning saw the Warriors load the bases with two outs, but they were unable to get a run across the board. 

The Wolverines got the first three runs on the board in the third inning, hitting a single and a double. RCU struck back, earning a run in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly. 

The fourth inning led off with UMD hitting a solo home run, extending the lead to 4-1. In the bottom of the inning, Matthew Shakotko doubled to deep left center field, scoring Nathaniel Crane, who led off the inning with a walk. A couple of batters later, Issander Vega would nab an infield single to draw within a run. 

UMD was able to extend its lead in the fifth inning, as it hit back-to-back doubles, scoring four runs. The Warriors completed their third consecutive inning with both teams plating runs, with Cael Kuzinski getting hit by a pitch and Issander Vega and Aiden Wlaspugh both walking in runs as the Warriors made it 8-6. 

Joey Wagner continued to shut down the Wolverine offense in the sixth inning to allow RCU to grab the lead in the bottom half of the inning, making it 10-8. Jayden Peterson and Issander Vega would both walk with the bases loaded to plate runs, and Aiden Alspaugh would reach on an error, allowing Peterson and Matthew Shakotko to score. 

A scoreless seventh inning on both sides would set up the eighth-inning theatrics. The Wolverines would take advantage of a bases-loaded walk, as well as back-to-back singles, plating five more runs in the inning and taking the lead for good in the game. RCU would load the bases in the bottom half of the inning, before hitting into a double play to end the scoring opportunity. 

Will Pflaum pitched in the fifth inning, allowing four runs on two hits. Joey Wagner pitched three innings, allowing no runs with two hits and a strikeout. Jayden Peterson (0-1) pitched in the eighth, getting two outs after allowing five runs on three hits. Jeffrey Preston closed the final 1.1 innings, allowing one base runner and striking out a batter. 

UP NEXT

The Warriors and Wolverines will be right back at it tomorrow, March 30, as the two teams continue the four-game series with a doubleheader beginning at 1:30 PM.