HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — The Wright State baseball program defeated Northern Kentucky 3-1 Saturday afternoon at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex.
The Raiders (15-11, 7-1 HL) clinched the series victory with their second straight win over the Norse (13-12, 4-4 HL). WSU and NKU will conclude the three-game set on Sunday, April 2, at noon.
Wright State's pitching staff held Northern Kentucky to just one run on eight hits and four walks while striking out 13 batters. The Norse failed to reach the scoreboard in the final seven innings of action.
Starting pitcher
Sebastian Gongora improved to 4-1 on the season, as he struck out eight batters and allowed only one run in 5.2 innings.
Tristan Haught followed with 2.1 innings of scoreless work out of the bullpen, while
Jay Luikart earned his fourth save of the year after inducing the final two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Boston Smith finished 4-for-4 at the plate with two doubles, a home run, and two runs scored. He added a stolen base and an outfield assist defensively.
Luke Arnold hit the go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the fourth inning.
Carson Clark reached base twice on a single and a walk, while
Dane Thomas tallied a single and a stolen base.
The Norse struck first with a solo home run off the bat of Peyton Lane in the bottom of the second inning. Wright State claimed the lead in the top of the fourth inning, as Smith hit a double and scored a batter later on Arnold's two-run homer.
NKU threatened to score in the bottom of the sixth inning as Lane roped a single to left field with runners on first and second. The runner from second was thrown out at home by Smith to keep the Raider edge at 2-1.
Smith extended Wright State's lead to 3-1 in the top of the eighth inning with a two-out, solo home run. Northern Kentucky had two runners in scoring position with no outs in the bottom of the frame, but Haught retired the next three batters on two strikeouts and a foul out.
Josh Laisure and Luikart combined to blank the Norse in the bottom of the ninth, sealing WSU's seventh consecutive win in conference play.
