Baseball Walks Off Lourdes in 11 Innings, Earns Friday Split

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DETROIT – Marygrove baseball snapped its 30-game losing skid Friday (May 1) in thrilling fashion, walking off the visiting Lourdes University Gray Wolves by a 4-3 final tally in 11 innings at Madonna’s Ilitch Ballpark. Senior utility man James Edwards provided the late-inning fireworks by knocking in Raleigh Wilson all the way from first base with a walk-off double to right field.

Wilson scored all four Mustang runs in the opener, driven in three times via three doubles by Edwards.

With the 4-3 extra-innings win against Lourdes, head coach Ryan Kottke and the Mustangs have walked off their opponent for both Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) wins this season. Walk-off hits from the Lourdes win and March 18 Concordia-Ann Arbor triumph can be viewed here and here.

Unable to complete the sweep on Friday, the Mustangs dropped the nightcap to the Gray Wolves, 5-0, as the Green and Gold’s bats cooled off after an exciting game one.

GAME ONE — @MGroveBASEBALL 4, Lourdes 3 (11 innings)
Before Edwards (Detroit, Mich./Shaw University) and Wilson (Harrison Twp., Mich./West Texas College) provided the game-one knockout punch, the Mustangs (3-42, 2-32 WHAC) and Gray Wolves (13-35, 7-24 WHAC) engaged in a pitcher’s duel as freshman righty Ryne Underwood worked another brilliant game. Underwood (Louisville, Ky./Fern Creek High School), fresh off of seven scoreless innings in his last outing, pitched three more frames of shutout ball before the Gray Wolves scratched a pair of runs across in the fourth inning.

The 10-inning shutout streak is the longest of the season for any Mustang pitcher as Underwood continues to dominate down the stretch. The freshman went eight innings for Kottke and the Mustangs, giving up two earned runs to go along with eight strikeouts in a no-decision effort.

Down two runs, the Mustangs battled back for a run in the sixth inning when sophomore catcher Kyle Hartwick (Oxford, Mich./Rend Lake CC) plated Wilson to cut the Gray Wolves lead in half, 2-1.

The Mustangs would eventually enter the bottom of the ninth down 3-2 and were down to their final out before Wilson sent a single up the middle to keep the Green and Gold alive. One batter later, Edwards sent his second double of the game to right field as Wilson hustled all the way around to score from first and tie the game, 3-3.

In extras, the Mustangs picked up the win as Edwards sent his third double of the opener to right field, scoring Wilson from first to win the game.

Freshman left-handed pitcher Jacob Baker (Berkley, Mich./Berkley High School) picked up his first win at the collegiate level after coming on in relief of Underwood for three innings of one-hit, three strikeout ball. Baker was too much for the Gray Wolves in the latter innings, retiring the first seven batters he faced to earn the historic win.

Chris Gittleman (Windsor, Ontario/Trinity Christian College), Troy Justice (Detroit, Mich./Southfield Lathrup High School) and Wilson followed Edwards’ with two hits each in game one of the four-game set.

GAME TWO – Lourdes 5, @MGroveBASEBALL 0
Hits were tough to come by in game two as the Gray Wolves shutout the Mustangs, 5-0, behind a combined three-hitter from Bill Laranga and Josh Payzant. Laranga would earn the game two win for the Gray Wolves while Payzant was credited with the save – his first of the season.

The Mustangs turned to Daniel Bailey (Harrison Twp., Mich./L’Anse Creuse High School) on the mound and he didn’t disappoint. The freshman hurler went six-and-a-third, giving up only two earned runs on nine scattered hits and four punch outs.

Two errors by the Mustangs in the third prolong the inning, allowing the Gray Wolves to take a 2-0 lead and never look back in the nightcap.

Edwards, Gittleman and Hartwick each recorded a hit for the Mustangs in game two. Edwards and Gittleman – the only two seniors on the first-year Mustangs roster – will be honored with a brief ceremony between games Saturday (May 2) when the Green and Gold return to Ilitch Ballpark to conclude their series against the Gray Wolves.

Live video on the Mustang Sports Network will begin at 1:50 p.m. on marygrovemustangs.com/live with Jeremy Otto and special guests Malik Jackson and Chase Younkin on the call for the season finale.