Wild Finish Propels Baseball Into Championship Showdown

Saturday, May 26

Chicago, IL

12:00 PM

Wright State University

36-21

Milwaukee

25-32

Milwaukee

Wright State

Wild Finish Propels Baseball Into Championship Showdown

5/26/2007 12:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: WSU Athletic Media Relations

Brian Shoup kept the Raiders in the contest all game, smacking a Tournament record three home runs, and Kris Steffen scored the game winning run in the 11th inning to defeat Milwaukee 12-11. Jason Bennion allowed only one run in 4.1 innings of relief to improve to 4-1 overall this season.

The Raiders raced out to an early 4-0 lead on UWM starting pitcher Mike Rauwerdink in the second inning. Brian Shoup smacked a solo home run to center field and John Kopilchack delivered with a three-run shot 380 feet over the right field fence.

The Panthers answered with four runs of their own off of Garret Holleran in the fourth inning. On an RBI single and a game tying three-run home run from Grant Berkovitz.

The Panthers took the lead for good in the fifth inning on a two-RBI triple from Nick. Holleran then hit the next batter and was relieved by Nate Stevens. The Panthers tacked on six total runs in the inning and pushed their lead to 10-4.

Holleran last 4.2 innings in the start and allowed eight runs on seven hits. The senior stuck out one batter in the contest and falls to 4-7 overall in 2007.

The Green and Gold used a pair of solo home runs in the sixth inning to close the gap and end the day for Rauwerdink. Shoup went deep for his second time in the game, ninth for the season, and Gerald Ogrinc sent one over the right field fence to pull WSU within 10-6.

Stevens threw 2.1 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, before handing the ball to Bennion with two outs in the top of the seventh inning. Bennion retired the final batter of the seventh to hold UWM scoreless in the frame.

The Raiders tallied a run in the seventh off of UWM reliever Tim Hoy when he walked Dan Biedenharn to start the frame. Jeremy Hamilton moved Oeder to third with a fly out and Justin Parker had a home run taken away by right fielder, who reached over the wall and brought it back into play. The fly ball allowed Oeder to score and the UWM lead was cut to 10-7.

Wright State pulled the game within one run in the eight inning on the third pitcher of the contest for UWM. The Raiders used three walks and a hit batsman to push the first run across the plate with no outs. With the bases loaded, a double play pushed a run across the plate to make the score 10-9 in favor of UWM.

Shoup stuck again in the ninth inning with a solo blast to right field, setting a new Horizon League Tournament record with his third long ball of the game. The home run tied the contest at 10-10, sending the contest into extra innings.

Hart then ended the Raiders season with a two-out home run off the scoreboard in left field, staking UWM to an 11-10 lead.

Stephen Marquez led the inning off with a double to left-center field and was pinch ran for by Nick Mahon. Mahon was moved to third on a Kopilchack sacrifice bunt and scored on an Oeder single through a drawn in infield, tying the game at 11-11.

Bennion allowed a leadoff hit in the 11th inning and a double down the left field line put runners on the corners with one out. Ross McCoy was then intentionally walked to load the bases for Shawn Wozniak who popped up to Hamilton in foul ground and forced a ground out to first base to end the inning.

A leadoff single by Kris Steffen walked to put two runners on base with one out. Ogrinc sent a ball back up the middle, Parker rounded third and was gunned out at home. Steffen slid into third and the UWM catcher's thrown sailed into the outfield, allowing Steffen to cross the plate as the winning run.

Bennion picked up the win in the contest, throwing 4.1 innings and allowing only one run. He walked two and struck out one to improve to 4-1 overall in 2007.

Shoup led the way with three RBI's, posting a three-for-five day at the plate, while Ogrnic collected three hits and scored three times. Sam Mote collected and pair of hits, scoring twice, and Oeder reached base five times with two RBI's.

The Green and Gold enter the championship game with record of 36-21 and will take to the field in their second straight championship game today at 3:45 against UIC.