CALEDONIA, Mich. — Head Coach
Kevin Tidey reached 500 wins at Davenport on Sunday in a 2-1 victory in game one against Wayne State.
Easton Remick tossed a complete-game, seven-inning gem for the Panthers. Wayne State would earn the split with a 10-5 win in game two and the teams split four games on the weekend in a tightly-contested matchup at the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex. Davenport is now 14-16 overall and 6-2 in the GLIAC, while WSU is now 21-5 overall and 5-3 in the conference.
In the first game, Davenport took an early lead, scoring both of its runs in the first inning and it held up.
Wyatt Epple singled up the middle, followed by
Justin Johnson being hit by a pitch.
Aiden Warn then doubled down the right field line, driving in both Epple and Johnson to set the score at 2-0. Wayne State managed to score its sole run in the fifth inning when Nick Sandiha, Jr. doubled down the left field line to break up four no-hit innings by Remick and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Brayden Crowe, narrowing the gap to 2-1 through five innings.
Easton Remick pitched a complete game for Davenport, allowing only two hits and striking out a season-high seven batters to seal the victory.
Remick delivered a stellar performance, in his season-high seven innings. He faced 26 batters in total, throwing 100 pitches with 58 strikes, achieving an impressive WHIP of 0.71. This victory improved his season record to 2-3. Warn led the offensive charge with two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Epple contributed with one hit and crossed the plate for a run, while
Justin Johnson reached base after being hit by a pitch and also scored.
In the second game, Davenport managed 13 hits, including a home run, but three errors proved costly as the Warriors scored two earned runs out of 10 runs allowed. WSU broke the game open with a five-run fourth inning. The teams opened with a competitive first inning, both scoring two runs. Bennett Hitzelberger's RBI single and a subsequent unearned run gave the Warriors an initial edge.
Sam Clay then tied the game for Davenport with a single by
Travis Liford, allowing Epple and Johnson to score, bringing the score to 2-2 through the first inning.
The Warriors capitalized on Davenport's errors in the fourth inning, scoring five unearned runs with contributions from Sandiha, Jr. and Hitzelberger's RBI singles to take a 7-2 lead. Both teams added to their totals in the fifth inning, with WSU extending its lead with two more unearned runs while Clay's triple and Epple's RBI single narrowed the gap for Davenport to 9-3. Brady Blakita's solo home run in the sixth inning extended the Warriors' lead to 10-3.
In a late rally, Davenport scored two runs in the eighth inning with a two-run homer by
Ben Korson (his second of the year), which scored Liford. This reduced the deficit to 10-5, but Davenport could not overcome the costly miscues.
Carson Anthes started on the mound for Davenport, pitching 3 2/3 innings, striking out four while allowing five hits and one earned run.
Gage Vota and
Lucas Coll followed in relief, while
Jaden Alberson closed out with three scoreless innings, permitting only one hit and striking out three. Epple recorded three hits and one RBI, while Korson's home run and two RBIs highlighted the offensive effort. Clay showcased his defensive skills with four assists, while Liford added two hits and two RBIs.
Davenport's next challenge is a matchup against Hillsdale (11-14) at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 1 in Hillsdale, Michigan.
