The Wright State baseball team split a pair of games against league leading UIC at Nischwitz Stadium on Saturday evening. WSU took the opening game of the series 12-5, but dropped the nightcap 3-2.

Wright State got the scoring started in game one as Jeremy Hamilton reached base on a two-out single and scored when Justin Parker doubled down the left field line. Parker was thrown out at third base, but WSU took an early 1-0 lead.

UIC answered in the top of the second with a run of their own off of WSU starting pitcher Rylan Ostrosky to knot the game at 1-1.

WSU took a 2-1 lead in the second inning on an RBI groundout from Ross Vagedes, before busting the game open in the third. The Raiders plated four runs in the third inning, two in the fourth and three in the fifth to push their lead to 11-2.

Bryce DeWeese would capture the win with two-thirds of an inning of relief to improve to 1-1 overall this season. Scott Ruthven tossed the final 5.2 innings, striking out two, to record his first save of 2008.

The Flames added three runs over the final three innings and WSU added their final run in the seventh inning on a Jeremy Hamilton home run.

Hamilton was four-for-six with four runs scored and three RBI's in the series opener and Casey McGrew drove in a pair of RBI's and scored two runs to go along with four hits.

In game two, WSU took another early 1-0 lead when McGrew singled and stole a base before scoring on a Jeff Mercer single in the second inning.

UIC added two runs in the third inning on a pair of RBI singles from Steve McGuiggan and Ty Rubio. The Raiders tallied the game tying run in the third inning when McGrew delivered on the RBI single.

Jon Durket threw 7.1 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits and struck out five batters. Durket was saddled with the loss, falling to 0-2 this season, as he was making his first start of 2008.

UIC scored the deciding run in the eighth inning when Ty Rubio doubled and scored on a single off the bat of Jake Carr.

McGrew and Mercer each collected a pair of hits and drove in an RBI in game two, while McGrew and Fields each scored a run in the contest.

WSU improved to 7-12 overall on the season and are now 2-2 in Horizon League play after the double-header split. WSU and UIC will play the series finale on Sunday, March 30, starting at Noon at Nischwitz Stadium.