Box Score The big inning doomed the Wright State baseball team for the third straight game at Washington State as they fell 7-4 in the series finale. WSU starter Michael Meintel would surrender the seven runs, while the WSU bullpen held the Cougars scoreless over the final three innings.
The Cougars took an early 2-0 lead as Jim Murphy collected an RBI in the second and third inning. Murphy homered in the second inning and then singled with a runner on third base in the third inning.
Washington State opened up their margin in the fifth inning as they tallied five runs on four hits in the inning to take a 7-1 lead.
Meintel made his second start of the season and allowed seven runs on seven hits in five innings of work. The freshman walked three and falls to 0-1 on the season as he was saddled with the loss.
The Raiders chipped away at that lead in the sixth inning as Casey McGrew and Jeff Mercer led off the inning with singles. With two runners on-base and no outs, Ross Vagedes smacked his second home run in as many games over the right-center field fence. That hit ended the day for the Cougars starter.
WSU would threaten in the sevenths as had runners on second and third with one out in the inning. Wazzu reliever Andrew Davis would be called upon in the situation and would retire the two Raider hitters via strikeout.
Rylan Ostrosky came out of the bullpen to throw two innings of shutout baseball with one strikeout. Ostrosky allowed only two hits and struck out one batter in the outing.
Jon Durket and Ryan Portwood combined to throw a scoreless eighth inning. Durket struck out one and Portwood walked one and fanned two.
On the day for WSU, Mercer collected a pair of hits to extend his hitting streak to six games. Vagedes collected a pair of hits, including a home run, and drove in three RBI's. Washington native Kory Twede drove in the only other RBI for the Raiders with a double in the fifth inning.
The Green and Gold fall to 0-6 overall in 2008 and will travel to Charleston, South Carolina next weekend to compete in The Citadel Shootout. The Raiders will open play against UNC Asheville on Friday, March 7, at Noon.
