ADRIAN, Mich. – The University of Michigan-Dearborn baseball team opened the 2019 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference season with a sweep of Siena Heights University on the road Saturday in Adrian, Mich.
After Siena Heights took a 5-1 lead with five runs in the eighth, the Wolverines answered with 12 runs in the 9th to take game one 13-5. UM-Dearborn rallied for a 6-3 win in game two, as Tanner Hodges came through with the game's biggest hit, a three-run double in the sixth.
The sweep moves UM-Dearborn to 9-10-1 overall and 2-0 in the WHAC.
In game one, the Wolverines took a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly from Antonio Carta in the third. The lead held up until SHU scored five in the bottom of the eighth. UM-Dearborn answered right back with the biggest inning in program history, scoring 12 times in the ninth.
The inning started with a two-run single from Daniel Kerr, followed by RBI singles from Carta and Patrick Downing to tie the game. Ryan Beadle put the Wolverines in front with a two-run single, followed by RBI singles from Justin Dolney and Waymond Lemon Jr., helping UM-Dearborn pull away.
Dolney finished with four hits, including a double and an RBI, while Kerr and Carta each added two hits and three RBIs.
John Dyda got the start on the mound and pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and striking out four. Matt Buhagiar got the win in relief.
In game two, SHU scored a run in the first and second to lead 2-0. The Wolverines got on the board with an RBI double from Lemon Jr. in the third. The Saints scored one in the fourth to regain a two-run advantage. After an RBI single from Andrew Capone in the fifth, Hodges put UM-Dearborn ahead for good with his three-run double in the sixth. Lemon Jr. added another RBI later in the inning to push the Wolverines to the win.
Lemon Jr. finished with two hits, both doubles, and two RBIs, while Hodges added three RBIs. Malcolm Harris got the win in relief, allowing one run on four hits in 2.1 innings, walking two and striking out three. Jack Hook earned the save with 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out four.
UM-Dearborn opens the home portion of its schedule against Concordia University at noon Sunday at Novi High School in Novi, Mich.
