'Dons Split Doubleheader at Oakland as Higgins Homers Twice

Saturday, April 13

Rochester Hills, Mich.

12:30 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

13-20, 7-6

Oakland

16-17, 7-6

Purdue Fort Wayne

Oakland

Ben Higgins

Photo by: Mikayla Hogan

'Dons Split Doubleheader at Oakland as Higgins Homers Twice

4/13/2024 6:57:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. - Purdue Fort Wayne hit three home runs on the day in a doubleheader split with Oakland on Saturday (April 13). Ben Higgins had a home run in both games.

Game 1: Purdue Fort Wayne 11, Oakland 6
Seven runs in the first three innings helped Purdue Fort Wayne fend off Oakland in the first game.

Higgins got things started with a two-run home run in the second inning. The next inning, Jacob Walker led off with a single and was driven in two batters later by Grant Thoroman. Thoroman later scored on a passed ball. Jackson Micheels brought home a run with a sac fly two batters after that. After reaching on an error, Nick Sutherlin scored on a Cade Fitzpatrick triple to cap off a five run inning for the Mastodons.

Oakland got a run back in the fourth, but a Micheels solo shot in the fifth restored the seven run lead. The 'Dons would add two more in the seventh when Higgins doubled to plate Thoroman and Fitzpatrick grounded out to score Micheels. In the ninth, Higgins drove in Micheels with an RBI single to add another insurance run and increase the lead to eight.

Brandon Nigh hit two home runs in the game for Oakland.

Jackson Micheels and Higgins each went 3-for-4 and combined for six RBI. Mac Ayres (1-4) got the win for the 'Dons by throwing 7.1 innings and allowing just three runs and striking out four. Hunter Pidek took the loss for Oakland after allowing eight runs in five innings.

Game 2: Oakland 8, Purdue Fort Wayne 3
Two three-run innings pushed Oakland past Purdue Fort Wayne in game two.

The Mastodons scored first in this one as Walker led off the game with a double and later scored off of a Thoroman's single. But Oakland responded with three runs in the bottom of the first.

Higgins' two-run home run in the seventh cut the Oakland lead down to two. But Oakland added three more runs in the bottom of the eighth to expand their lead to five.

Carter Sabol got the loss allowing five runs in five innings of work with four strikeouts. Shane McAlinden got the win for Oakland tossing 6.2 innings and allowed three runs with seven strikeouts.

The 'Dons are now 13-21 and 7-7 in Horizon League games. Oakland stands at 17-17 and 8-6 in league play. Sunday's rubber match is set for 1:00 p.m.

~ Feel The Rumble ~