The Wright State baseball team jumped out to an early 14-2 lead and smacked seven home runs on the day as the Raiders went on to a 19-8 win over the Le Moyne Dolphins in the opener of a three-game series Friday afternoon in Syracuse, New York.

After Le Moyne opened the scoring with two runs in the first, WSU exploded with eight in the top in the second. Ryan Ashe tied the game with a two-run single and another two-run hit, this time by Dan Marsh, put the Raiders in front for good. Tristan Moore later delivered the big blow, a grand slam to right center, to make it 8-2. It was the first home run of the season for the reigning Horizon League Batter of the Week.

The long balls continued for Wright State in third as all six runs came via the home run. A two-run shot to left by Justin Kopale, his first of the year, started things and Sam Picchiotti followed on the next pitch with his first homer of the season, a solo blast to left. After a Marsh single, Jake Hibberd homered to left center, his second of the year, and Moore made it back-to-back home runs for the second time in the inning with one to right center, his second of the game.

The Dolphins cut the deficit to 14-7 with five of their own in the bottom of the third, only to see WSU answer with a run in the fourth on Kopale's second home run of the game to right center and another in the fifth as Kyle Mossbarger singled, moved up to second on a throwing error and scored on an Ashe hit to right center.

The Raiders rounded out the scoring with three more in the eighth. Ashe was hit by a pitch, Kopale doubled and Picchiotti plated Ashe with a sacrifice fly. Kopale, who moved up to third on the Picchiotti sacrifice fly, came in on a wild pitch. Hibberd then became the third WSU player to hit two home runs in the game with a solo shot to center.

The 19 runs are the most for the Raiders in a game this season and the most since a 20-3 win over Milwaukee at Nischwitz Stadium last May 8. The 18 hits are tied for the second-most this year, tying the final game against Cleveland State on April 2 and trailing the 22 in the series opener with Youngstown State on March 25. Going into Friday, Wright State had hit a total of five home runs this season over 25 games.

Hibberd, Moore and Kopale each had three hits to pace the offensive attack with Picchiotti, Marsh, Mossbarger and Ashe each adding two. Taylor Braun (2-0) picked up the win in relief as the Raider bullpen of Braun, Michael Meintel, Jordan Marker and Michael Schum limited the Dolphins to one run and three hits over the final six innings with six strikeouts.

Wright State (17-9) and Le Moyne (9-20) continue the three-game series with a single game Saturday starting at 4:00.