The Wright State baseball team jumped out to an early lead on Sunday, but saw Youngstown State push across an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth to hand the Raiders an 11-10 loss in the series finale.
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The Raiders (13-8, 13-3 HL) scored five runs in the top of the first and added a ruin in the second to lead by six before Youngstown State (11-12, 6-6 HL) scored its first runs, but the Penguins plated four runs in both the fifth and seventh innings to tie the game before the eventual winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
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After Wright State scored three runs in the top of the seventh to take a 10-6 lead, Youngstown State plated four runs of its own in the bottom of the seventh to knot things up. In the eighth, the Penguins got their leadoff runner on via a Raider error, advancing him over to third thanks to a sacrifice bunt and a groundout before two-out, bad hop single plated the go-ahead run.
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The Raiders had their own chance in the ninth, with
Konner Piotto and
Gehrig Anglin each singling to open the inning before
Alex Alders bunt attempt was popped up, resulting in a double play after Youngstown State was able to double off Piotto at second base. With two outs and the tying runner at first,
Damon Dues flew out to center field to end the afternoon.
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Julian Greenwell was handed the tough luck loss after 1.2 innings of relief, allowing just one hit and the one unearned run while striking out three batters. Raider starter
Alex Theis allowed five runs (two earned) over 4.1 innings, striking out four but also walking four batters.
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Wright State outhit the Penguins 14-10, with Dues and Anglin each with three hits.
Sammy Sass finished with a pair of hits and four RBI, while Piotto also had a pair of hits.
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After a
Zane Harris RBI single in the first, Sass connected on a grand slam to right field to set the Raider offense in motion, with
Quincy Hamilton's RBI groundout in the second extending the lead. After a single run in the third, Youngstown State posted four runs in the bottom of the fifth, keyed by a two-run single from Steven D'Eusanio, to pull to within one run at 6-5.
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Dues' RBI single in the sixth extended the lead back to two runs but the Penguins answered with an RBI single of their own in the bottom of the frame.
Justin McConnell sent a solo shot over the left field wall to begin a three-run seventh for the Raiders, but Youngstown State's four runs in the bottom of the seventh tied the game at 10-all and set up the hosts for the eventual game-winning run in the eighth.
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Gary Clift, Jr. earned the win for Youngstown State after two innings of scoreless relief, while starter Nick Perez didn't factor in the decision after allowing six runs on five hits over the opening two frames.
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