The baseball team led 14-5 after seven innings, but had to hold off a Youngstown State comeback attempt before defeating the Penguins 14-12 in the Horizon League series opener Friday night at Nischwitz Stadium.

YSU opened the scoring with a run in the first, only to see the Raiders answer with three in the bottom of the frame, the big play being a RBI single by Brad Macciocchi, who also scored on the play as the hit got by the center fielder.

The Penguins tied it in the second, but WSU took control from there, taking the lead for good with three runs in the third, including a two-run double by Sean Murphy, two more in the fifth on a John Brodner home run, his second of the season, and three more in the sixth, two on a Murphy triple to right center.

Youngstown State tallied a pair of runs in the seventh before Wright State added three more in the bottom of the inning, two coming on RBI singles from Macciocchi and Joe Ford.

YSU scored seven runs in the eighth, all with two out, before Andrew Elliott picked up the final out on a strikeout.  The junior righty then struck out the side in the ninth to earn his 12th save of the year.

Joey Hoelzel (7-3) picked up the win as he pitched the first six innings, allowing three runs while striking out four.

Offensively, Murphy was three for three with four RBI, three runs scored and three stolen bases while Macciocchi and Andrew McCafferty each had three hits and scored four times.

Wright State (26-18, 19-2 Horizon) and Youngstown State (10-29, 4-11 Horizon) continue the three-game set with a game Saturday starting at 5:00.