Box Score 1 | Box Score 2  / Game 1 Box Score (pdf)
 / Game 2 Box Score (pdf)

Winter Haven, Fla. – The Lewis University baseball team was unable to get their offense going as they dropped a pair of games to Wayne State, 2-1 in a seven inning affair, and 5-3 in the seven inning night cap on Friday (March 7).
 
The Flyers move to 5-6 on the year while the Warriors improve to 4-0 on the season.
 
"We had some hard fought games that we unfortunately came up on the short end of," Lewis head baseball coach Tim McDonough said. "I thought we got strong outings from our starting pitchers but we just aren't stringing any big innings together.
 
"We need to regroup and get a win tomorrow against Tiffin to finish the trip."
 
Lewis starter Phil Warner (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) was able to get out of a first inning bases loaded jam only allowing one run on two hits.
 
Sophomore Austin Mastela (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) tied the game at 1-all with a home run to left field in the fourth inning but Wayne State was able to regain the lead in the bottom of the frame as Eric Cunningham drew a bases loaded walk to force in the game winning run.
 
Warner (0-1) threw six innings for the Flyers, giving up two runs on five hits, while striking out nine and walking two.
 
Wayne State's Kyle Zimmerman (1-0) picked up the win, tossing 6.1 innings as he gave up one run on eight hits and struck out six batters. Clayton Ruch (1) picked up the save as he collected the final two outs, including a strike out.
 
In the second game, the Flyers got on the board in the second inning, as senior Ben Albano (West Dundee, Ill./Jacobs) and sophomore Brandon Collins (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln Way North) opened the frame with back-to-back base hits and moved up a base on a wild pitch from Wayne State starter Alex Kinch. Sophomore Cale Robinson (Weldon, Ill./Clinton) struck out but was able to reach first on a wild pitch, loading the bases.
 
Junior Mike Barajas (Chicago, Ill./Nazareth) and sophomore Joel Rotkvich (Crestwood, Ill./St. Laurence) both forced in the Flyers two runs as they were hit by a pitch.
 
Wayne State answered in the top of the third with a two-run shot down the left field line by Cunningham. The Warriors added two more runs to take a 4-2 lead in the sixth inning as they connected three base hits and added an insurance run in the seventh inning.
 
The Flyers pushed a run across in the sixth when Rotkvich hit through the left side of the field to score Barajas from second after he collected a base hit and stolen base.
 
Flyer starter Kendall Paluch (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) threw six innings, giving up four runs on four hits. Paluch (0-2) collected a strikeout without allowing a walk.
 
Wayne State's Kinch (2-0) picked up the win in 5.2 innings of work. He gave up all three Lewis runs, while striking out nine and walking one.
 
The Flyers return to action on Saturday (March 8) when they take on Tiffin in Winter Haven, Fla., at 12:30 PM ET.