Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 The top two baseball teams in the Horizon League split a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Nischwitz Stadium as Wright State won the opener 10-4 before Valparaiso took the second game 6-2.
Valparaiso scored three times in the top of the first of game one and held the lead until WSU tied it with three of its own in the bottom of the third. Singled by Andrew Elliott and Zach Tanner started the frame and after Dan Marsh reached on a bunt single, a throwing error on the play resulted in Elliott scoring the first run. Jake Hibberd then followed with a double to left to drive Tanner and Marsh and tie the game at 3-3.
The Raiders again tied the game at 4-4 with a run in the fifth as Tristan Moore singled, advanced to second on a ground out and scored as Ryan Ashe had a hit down the left field line.
Wright State then went in front to stay with four in the sixth. After a Justin Kopale hit, an error and a passed ball resulted in runners on second and third, a Marsh ground out plated the first run and second came in on a Hibberd single to right. Back-to-back doubles from Moore and Corey Davis later produced the final two runs.
WSU tacked on a run in the seventh on a RBI double by Tanner and another in the eighth on a Kyle Mossbarger triple.
After a rough start, Casey Henn (5-3) allowed just one run on six hits over the final eight innings to earn the win, striking out four. Offensively, Moore had four hits while Elliott had three and Tanner, Hibberd, Mossbarger and Kopale two each.
The Crusaders again opened the scoring in game two with a run in the third, only to see the Raiders tie it in the bottom of the inning on doubles from Hibberd and Davis. Wright State then went in front 2-1 in the fifth on a David ground out.
It stayed that way until Valparaiso (21-25, 13-5 Horizon) took the lead for good with four in the seventh, the big blow being a three-home run to left off the bat of Kyle Gaedele. The Crusaders added another run in the ninth to round out the scoring.
Marsh and Hibberd each had two hits in the second game for WSU.
Wright State (29-14, 12-5 Horizon) closes out the series with Valpo Sunday with a single game starting at 1:00.
