The Wright State baseball team dropped a pair of close contests on Saturday against Alabama, falling in the first game of the afternoon 8-7 in 11 innings before a 1-0 defeat on Saturday night to close the series.
 
The Raiders (0-5) now return home for their first games of the season at Nischwitz Stadium, welcoming Northern Kentucky for a four-game series beginning on Friday afternoon as Horizon League play begins.
 
In game one on Saturday, Wright State found itself trailing 4-0 before plating seven runs over the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to take the lead, only to see Alabama plate two runs in the eighth to tie the game and later win in the 11th inning.
 
The second game was a pitchers' duel, with Jake Shrand striking out eight over five innings and Alabama only allowing a pair of Raider runs, ultimately pushing across the lone run in the sixth frame of the seven inning contest.
 
Game 1
Down four runs after Alabama plated two runs in both the first and third innings, Wright State's offense multiple runs the next three innings, beginning with a three-run fourth inning. In the fourth, Zane Harris pushed across the first Raider run with a sacrifice fly before Konner Piotto delivered a two-run single later in the inning. Tyler Black's sacrifice fly in the fifth tied the game at 4-all momentarily before Harris gave the Raiders the lead with his RBI single through the right side.
 
After Alabama tied the score in the bottom of the fifth, Wright State tacked on two more runs on Quincy Hamilton's two out, two-run double to regain the lead at 7-5. The hosts used a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth to tie and eventually send the game to extras, where a bases-loaded walk off single in the 11th gave Alabama the win.
 
Wright State left eight men on in the opening game, and had chances to make their scoring innings bigger, stranding a pair in both the fourth and fifth innings, along with a runner in the sixth. Tied late, the Raiders were unable to do anything with Alec Sayre's two out double in the eighth, and in the ninth couldn't put anything together after Black's one out walk. Jay Luikart doubled to left center in the top of the 10th but was stranded.
 
Alabama left 10 men of its own on base, including three innings stranding multiple runners. In the 11th, however, the hosts strung together a scoring inning, beginning with a leadoff single. After a hit batter and a walk loaded the bases, William Hamiter delivered the walk-off single for the win.

Sayre's three hits paced the Raiders in the opener, while Hamilton, Harris and Piotto all had two RBI.

Austin Cline was saddled with the loss, tossing four-plus innings of relief out of the bullpen after seeing his scheduled start altered for the second straight series. Cline allowed five hits and three runs with five strikeouts as the Wright State pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts. Bradley Brehmer struck out four and allowed three hits and four runs (two earned) in the opening three innings, while Mitch Gremling allowed one hit and one walk in his three innings of relief.
 
Alabama's Zane Denton had three hits to pace the offense, while Hamiter had three RBI. Chase Lee earned the win after two scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts.
 
Game 2
A scheduled seven inning affair, the game rolled along, with both sides stranding baserunners in the first and second innings before pitching took over.
 
Alabama pushed across the lone run in the sixth, drawing a leadoff walk and an RBI double to chase Schrand from the game. Tristan Haught shut the door on the rest of the inning, striking out a pair.
 
Schrad finished with eight strikeouts over his five-plus innings on the way to the tough-luck loss, allowing five hits with a walk and one extra base hit.
 
Wright State finished with two hits, one each from Black and Harris, but left four runners on. In the first, Hamilton walked and was later left stranded on second to end the inning before Alex Alders walked and stole second in the second inning, only to also be left stranded there.
 
Black singled and stole second in the fourth frame before being stranded, and he also walked with two outs in the sixth before being picked off to end the inning. Harris delivered a one-out single in the seventh, but a pair of strikeouts wrapped up the night.
 
Alabama had only five hits in the second game, including two from Peyton Wilson. Landon Green earned the win after 1.1 innings of relief, striking out three.