In a thrilling doubleheader at Dan Pulham Field, the Warriors baseball team split games with the Laurier Golden Hawks on Friday and Saturday. Laurier took the first game 4-1 behind a strong pitching performance, but the Warriors responded in Game 2 with an offensive explosion, securing a 16-6 victory.
Game 1: Laurier Golden Hawks 4, Waterloo Warriors 1
The Golden Hawks took the first game behind a two-run homer from Davis Llewellyn in the first inning. Llewellyn launched a deep shot to right field, giving Laurier an early lead that they wouldn't relinquish. Max Zentil was dominant on the mound for Laurier, going 7.1 innings, allowing just four hits and one run while striking out 10 Warriors. Noah Young came on to earn the save for Laurier.
For Waterloo, Max Todd (Paris, Ontario/) took the loss, pitching six innings and allowing three runs on three hits while walking three and striking out two. Waterloo's only run came from Adam Rusch (Vancouver/), who went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Despite the loss, the Warriors defense remained sharp, committing no errors and turning a double play. Sam Grant (Toronto/) led the defensive effort with five plays at third base.
Game 2: Waterloo Warriors 16, Laurier Golden Hawks 6
The Warriors came out swinging in the second game, powered by a five-RBI performance from Cody Hagerman (Whitby/), including a grand slam in the fourth inning that broke the game wide open. Waterloo's bats were alive early, scoring seven runs in the second inning and four more in the fourth to take a commanding lead.
Hagerman's grand slam to center field highlighted the offensive outburst, capping off a day in which he reached base multiple times, including a walk that drove in a run in the second inning.
Waterloo jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the first, highlighted by a three-run homer from Klaus Aplevich (Siegen/) and an RBI single from Sam Shephard (Belle River/). The Warriors added seven more runs in the second inning, with Aplevich and Shephard each collecting RBIs.
Laurier fought back in the bottom of the third, scoring five runs on two hits, with Jack Larmer and Johnny Banks driving in runs and two additional runs scoring on errors. However, the Golden Hawks couldn't close the gap as Waterloo's bullpen shut them down for the remainder of the game.
Carson Hepburn (Newmarket/) earned the win for the Warriors, allowing three hits and six runs (one earned) over three innings while striking out three. Myles Robinson (Hamilton/) and Aidan Armitage (Waterloo/) came on in relief to keep Laurier at bay.
Waterloo tallied 11 hits in the game, with Shephard, Aplevich, Misa, and Hagerman each collecting two hits. The Warriors also showed discipline at the plate, drawing seven walks and stealing five bases.
With the split, the Warriors will look to build on their offensive momentum in the next matchup while tightening their defense to prevent costly errors that contributed to Laurier's third-inning rally in Game 2.
