News photo by Josh Jambor Wildcats pitcher Eli Tessmer throws a pitch during game one of their doubleheader on Saturday. Tessmer allowed just three hits, and no earned runs, while striking out six in four innings of action.

ALPENA – On a blustery day, the Alpena Wildcats varsity baseball team saw two hard-fought leads slip away Saturday 3-2, and 7-6 against the Sandusky Wolves. Alpena is now 9-6 overall on the season.

The Wildcats jumped out front in the first inning when a Sandusky error scored two unearned runs. They carried that 2-0 lead into the third before a single from Sandusky tied the game at two. The score remained tied until the top of the seventh inning when a Sandusky player was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring the go-ahead run.

Eli Tessmer turned in a strong start on the mound for Alpena, tossing four innings, allowing just three hits and two unearned runs, while striking out six.

Offensively, Tessmer also led the way with two RBIs. Dillan Gagnon, Troy MacArthur, and Blayze Most each added a hit.

In game two of the doubleheader the score stayed tight throughout, with the score knotted at 6-6 entering the top of the seventh inning. Sandusky capitalized on an error to score the go-ahead run.

Sandusky got on the board first in the second inning on a fielder’s choice. Alpena answered in the bottom of the third inning when a Sandusky error and a Brady Chapman RBI triple down the right-field line put the Wildcats ahead 2-1.

The Wolves scored two runs in the top of the fourth inning to retake the lead 3-2. Alpena responded in the bottom of the fourth, Eion Eades hit an RBI single, Gavin Ross drove in Eades on a sacrifice fly, Zach Orban scored on a wild pitch, and Owen Kaiser hit a line drive RBI to right field, giving Alpena the 6-3 advantage.

Sandusky tied the game 6-6 in the top of the sixth inning, before scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning.

On the mound, Colton Anderson pitched five innings for Alpena, allowing two earned runs, on five hits, while striking out four. Reliever Zach Orban took the loss, throwing two innings and surrendering one earned run, on one hit, with four strikeouts.

It was a tough day for the Wildcats who could have easily gone 2-0, instead of 0-2. Alpena Head Coach Eric MacKenzie discussed his team’s effort.

“I don’t think we played to our potential. Our pitching was good, but hitting and defense was not to our standards,” MacKenzie said.

Next up: The Wildcats host Gaylord on Tuesday in a Big North Conference showdown, that game is scheduled to start at 4pm.