Baseball: Kruzan flirts with a no-hitter, strikes out 14 to lead Wausau West to first win of the season as Warriors split DH at EC North.

After struggling in his first two starts of the season, whatever adjustments Wausau West pitcher Keegan Kruzan made on Friday at Eau Claire North worked brilliantly. Kruzan didn't allow a hit until the 7th inning in a stellar performance that led Wausau West to a 3-1 win in Game 1 of doubleheader at Carson Park. Kruzan went 6 1/3 innings allowing just 1 run on 1 hit while striking out 14 and walking 3. Joe Graveen got the final two outs, including stranding the bases loaded in the 7th, to get the save.

Graveen also got West on the board in the top of the first when he doubled home Kam Blasky to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead. West added to the advantage in the third on a MIles Waldvogel 2 run single to make it 3-0. It stayed that way until the 7th as Kruzan overpowered the Huskies hitters through six no-hit innings. North's Cashton Kainz led off the bottom of the 7th with a single and, with one out, Matthew Poppe walked. Kruzan hit the 100 pitch limit and was replaced by Graveen. After retiring the first batter he faced, Graveen gave up a pair of singles that scored the first North run and put the potential tying run in scoring position. However, he got Ashton Reas to hit into a fielder's choice to end the game and give the Warriors their first win of the season.

Waldvogel finished 2 for 4 with 2 RBI while Ty Teske also had two hits for West.

In Game 2 it was a slow start and a fast finish for the Warriors as they looked for the sweep. Eau Claire North scored 7 runs in the first two innings to take a 7-0 lead before the Warriors came storming back. However, West came up just short as the Huskies held on for a 7-6 win to earn a split in the twinbill.

North scored 4 times in the bottom of the 1st with the big blow being an Ashton Kata 2-run home run to right field. A bases clearing 3 run double by Mason Bruesewitz in the 2nd extended the North lead to 7-0 and it looked like the rout was on. However, West's offense woke up and the Warriors also got a terrific relief performance from pitcher Ben Muschinske. Muschinske would pitch 4 1/3 innings allowing just one hit and striking out 5 to keep North at bay.

West started their comeback with two runs in the 4th inning. Joe Graveen and Muschinske each had RBI singles to make the score 7-2. The Warriors got three more runs in the 5th on an RBI fielder's choice by Blasky and a two-run double to deep center that cut the deficit to 7-5. The Warriors kept going in the 6th as Keegan Kruzan came through with a pinch hit single to score Waldvogel and pull West to within 7-6. However, that was as close as the Warriors would come

West is now 1-7 and will return to Wisconsin Valley Conference play on Tuesday in Wisconsin Rapids in a doubleheader. Watch the action live on the Wausau Area Sports YouTube channel Tuesday starting with the pregame at 3:15 pm and first pitch of the opener at 3:30.