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 in Royal Oak, Mich.
"We got two team wins today," head coach
Josh Bradford said afterwards. "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 H.S.) led off with a double, one of three hits head had in the game, and
Steve Haugh (Waterville, Ohio/Anthony Wayne H.S.) was hit by a pitch.
Harrison Jackson (Millbury, Ohio/Lake H.S.) 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, Ohio/Swanton H.S.) added a sacrifice fly for an insurance run.
Joey Oehlers (Lambertville, Mich./Bedford H.S.) 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 H.S.) 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 H.S.) 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 H.S.) earned the win (2-1), striking out seven in six innings on the mound, allowing just two runs on six 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.