Lourdes celebrated Senior Day in style on Sunday afternoon at Mercy Field, defeating Rochester (Mich.) 11-10 and 17-1 to earn a berth in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament for the first time in program history.
 
The Gray Wolves had to rally from a five-run deficit in the opener, scoring four times in the ninth for the victory before plating 12 runs in the first three innings of game two to complete the sweep.
 
"Today was the tale of two games, and I'm elated we came out with victories in both of them," head coach Jeremy Snow said afterwards.  "Game one was scary at times, but the team never got down at all and continued to battle back until the final at bat.  In game two we brought great energy, put up runs early, and were able to send our seniors off the right way."
 
Lourdes fell behind early in game one, as the Warriors scored five times in the second inning, taking advantage of five walks and three errors to build a 6-1 lead.  The Gray Wolves battled back to within one after scoring a pair of runs in each of the next two innings, only to see Rochester plate a run in both the sixth and seventh to rebuild its advantage, 8-5.
 
Cameron Gallo's (Mason, Ohio/Bishop Fenwick H.S.) RBI double in the seventh was answered by two more runs for Rochester in the eight, and the Gray Wolves headed into their final six outs trailing 10-6.  Devin Stanley (Euclid, Ohio/Saint Edward H.S.) delivered a sacrifice fly in the eighth, but Lourdes stranded the bases loaded, and entered the ninth trailing by three.
 
Dallas Riggs (Prescott, Ariz./Bradshaw Mountain H.S.) led off with a double and scored as Reilly Walters (Bowmanville, Ont./Bowmanville H.S.) followed with a RBI single.  Colin Gottschalk (Walled Lake, Mich./Central H.S.) added a single, and an intentional walk to Jay Denman (Toledo, Ohio/Saint Francis de Sales H.S.) loaded the bases.  The Warriors walked Stanley, forcing in a run, and George Pastor (Walled Lake, Mich./Central H.S.) drew a free pass as well, tying the game.  With two outs, Glen Crabtree (Median, Ohio/Black River H.S.) drew the fourth base on balls in five batters, giving Lourdes the win.
 
Denman and Gottschalk each had three hits in the opener as Lourdes pounded out 12 as a team.  Crabtree drove home three runs while Stanley finished with two RBI.
 
Adam Hoyos (Oro Valley, Ariz./Canyon Del Oro H.S.) earned the win (2-0), tossing a scoreless ninth inning, while Dylan Benson suffered the loss (0-3), allowing four runs and three hits while walking two in one-third of an inning.
 
Lourdes offense erupted early in game two.  Three walks in the opening inning, followed by a bases clearing triple by Riggs put the Gray Wolves on top after one.  Lourdes batted around in the second, scoring five more times.  Denman drove home the first with a single, Stanley followed with a RBI double, and Pastor plated two with a triple.
 
Four more runs crossed the plate in the third, capped with a two-run single by Crabtree, before Lourdes piled on three more in the fourth and two in the sixth.
 
Rochester (5-37, 4-23 WHAC) scored its lone run in the top of the fourth with three straight hits, but Braxton McKart (Monroe, Mich./Monroe H.S.) kept the Warriors' offense in check.  He allowed just four hits in five innings for the win (6-0), striking out nine.  Ty Robinson suffered the loss (1-4), allowing 12 runs, eight of which were earned, on eight hits while walking five in three innings of work.
 
Denman went 3-for-3 at the plate while Pastor had two hits, scored three times, and drove home four runs.  Riggs added three more RBI while Stanley had a two-hit game as Lourdes tallied 13 in the nightcap.
 
Lourdes (22-21, 13-15) will await official word from the WHAC office for tournament pairings, with play beginning in the double elimination opening round on Thursday at the top two seeds.