DC Splits League Opener

Lansing, MI – The men's baseball team opened up the MCCAA portion of their 2016 season with a split against Lansing Community College on Friday, dropping the first game 6-4 before coming from behind in the nightcap to take a 9-6 victory.  The Pioneers are now 9-8 overall on the season and 1-1 in the conference.

Game one saw Delta jump out to a quick 1-0 lead as Justin Jurek doubled in the top of the first and was driven home on a Dean Marias RBI single.  Lansing answered in the bottom of the first, however, as a two-out error led to three LCC runs.  Delta made it a 3-2 game in the second inning on back-to-back doubles by Derrek Clyde and Zack Booth before tying it in the top of the fifth on a Marais double that scored Justin Heinlein all the way from first base.

Lansing retook the lead in the bottom of the inning, however, with a solo homerun to right field.  Delta would once again come back, though, by scoring a single run in the top of the sixth as Brady Marwede reached on a bunt single and moved to second on an error before scoring on a Booth single up the middle.   But in the bottom of the sixth, Lansing would hit another homerun – this time a two run blast – to take a 6-4 lead and chase starting pitcher Austin Dingee.

The Pioneers would attempt one more comeback in the seventh as they had runners at first and second with one out before back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat and the game.  Offensively, Delta was led by Z Westley, Dean Marais and Zack Booth with two hits each.  Dingee pitched five and two-thirds innings, giving up two earned runs on six hits and striking out six.

More errors plagued the Pioneers in game two as they committed three in a row in the third inning to give Lansing a 4-0 lead.  Delta responded in the top of the fourth, however, as Z Westley doubled and came home on a Dean Marias homerun – his third of the season – to make it 4-2.  Tyler Robbins and Ty Jones laced back-to-back doubles to make it 4-3 in favor of the Stars after four . 

Tyler Kelsey led the fifth off with a single before scoring on a Derrek Clyde double to tie the game up at four apiece.  A Robbins ground out eventually scored Justin Jurek to give Delta a 5-4 lead that was quickly gone in the bottom of the inning when Lansing again hit a homerun, this time a solo shot to straight away center field.

Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for DC in the sixth and a two-out single by Westley scored Brady Marwede and Justin Heinlein to make it 7-5.  A Marais double was followed by a Robbins double to plate two more and give Delta a 9-5 lead.  Lansing would score a single run in the sixth and threaten to tie it up before Jake Lesniak replace Dingee to close the door.  He would throw a perfect seventh to pick up his second save of the season.

Marais led the Pioneer offense with four hits and two RBI while Robbins had two hits and three RBI.  Z Westley had a big game as well, collecting three hits, two runs and two RBI.  Delta is back in action on Tuesday as they host Jackson Community College in their home opener at Wickes Park. 

Game time is scheduled for 2pm.