ROYAL OAK, Mich. — Lourdes won both games of its Sunday doubleheader by scores of 5-3 and 7-3 to complete its four-game weekend sweep of Rochester (Mich.) at Memorial Park.
“We got two team wins today,” Lourdes coach Josh Bradford said. “It was a tough day to hit, and the team that executed the best was going to win.
“Our pitchers did a great job today of limiting the free bases. Then we were able to break through with a couple of big innings in each game.”
In the opener, Lourdes trailed 1-0 heading into the sixth when Joel Suraganan (Pickerington, Ont./Dunbarton) led off with a double, one of three hits head had in the game, and Steve Haugh (Anthony Wayne) was hit by a pitch.
Harrison Jackson (Lake) then reached on an error that plated both runners, giving the Gray Wolves the lead.
The advantage was short-lived, as the Warriors responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth to take a 3-2 lead into the seven.
With one out and the bases loaded, Haugh delivered a two-run single to put Lourdes in front. Two batters later Hunter Mix (Swanton) added a sacrifice fly for an insurance run.
Joey Oehlers (Bedford, Mich.) earned the win (3-2), allowing wo earned runs and five hits while striking out seven in six innings on the hill. Austin Ford (Chesterfield, Mich./Anchor Bay) needed just 10 pitches in the bottom of the seventh to retire the side in order and pick up the save.
Lourdes scored two in the opening inning of game two, taking advantage of a pair of errors by Rochester (3-18, 1-7 WHAC) with Surangan and Josh Hare (Simcoe, Ont./Holy Trinity) each producing run-scoring hits. The lead would remain two until the Warriors tied the game with single runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings.
The Gray Wolves sent 10 batters to the plate in the seventh, scoring five times to break the game open. A bases loaded walk to Hare gave Lourdes the lead and Haugh followed with another free pass, scoring a run. Jackson made it a 5-2 game with a sacrifice fly before Mix produced a two-run single.
Anderson Strunk (New Baltimore, Mich./Algonac) earned the win (2-1), striking out seven in six innings on the mound, allowing just two runs on six hits.
Lourdes registered its second Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference doubleheader sweep of the week on Friday afternoon as the Gray Wolves defeated Rochester, 24-5, in the opener before downing the Warriors, 7-6, in 10 innings in game two at Memorial Park.
“We swung the bats really well in the first game,” Bradford said. “In game two, (Brendan) Holland gave us a bunch of zeroes in the middle of the game, we overcame a hiccup late, and were able to come through in extra innings.”
In the opener, all nine batters had at least one hit for the Gray Wolves as Lourdes pounded out 18 hits in the contest. Haugh had three hits and five runs batted in while Hare added three hits and two RBIs. Mix homered twice as part of a five RBIs game as the Gray Wolf offense clicked on all cylinders.
Lourdes plated four in the second to take a 4-1 lead before adding 10 more in the third. The Gray Wolves tallied nine more runs in the seventh inning as well.
Wyatt Smith (Wynford) earned the win (2-0) on the mound, working six innings and allowing just four earned runs and striking out three.
Lourdes was the beneficiary of back-to-back bases loaded walks in the opening inning of game two to take an early lead, only to see the Warriors answer with two in the bottom of the inning.
Michael Strzelewicz (Monroe St. Mary’s) drove home a pair of runs in the fifth to put the Gray Wolves on top before Suraganan added an RBI single in the sixth, one of his three hits in the game.
The Gray Wolves led 6-2 heading to the eighth when Rochester plated four runs to tie the game, eventually forcing extra innings.
In the 10th, Hare singled home Ryan Jagodzinski (Rossford) with what proved to be the winning run. Jagodzinski and Jackson Kennedy (Clay) each had two hits as part of Lourdes’ 11-hit attack.
Ford earned the win (2-1) with two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, striking out two. Brendan Holland (Blissfield, Mich.) came on to pitch in the second, tossing five innings of scoreless relief, striking out three and allowing just two hits.
Lourdes (10-9, 6-2) returns home on Wednesday afternoon to entertain Siena Heights. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. at Mercy Field.
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