TOLEDO — The Wright State baseball program got back in the win column with an 18-4 victory at Toledo on Wednesday afternoon at Scott Park.
The Raiders improved to 17-16 on the season, while Toledo dropped to 15-17 overall. Wright State will return to Nischwitz Stadium for the first time since late March to host Youngstown State for a three-game series from April 14-16.
Wright State enjoyed one of its top offensive performances of the year, tallying a season-high 19 hits and five home runs while reaching the scoreboard in seven different frames.
Seven Raiders had multi-hit games, led by
Julian Greenwell with a 4-for-6 showing at the plate with a double, a homer, three runs batted in, and two runs scored.
Andrew Patrick batted 3-for-5 with a solo roundtrip, three RBI, and three runs.
Boston Smith went 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and two runs.
Sammy Sass,
Patrick Fultz, and
Jay Luikart chipped in with solo homers.
Avery Fisher contributed with two hits, three runs, two walks, and a stolen base.
Luke Arnold had two hits over six at-bats, highlighted by a three-run double.
Ty Roder (2-1) earned the winning decision after firing three shutout innings in relief.
Garret Simpson was efficient in his first start of the 2023 campaign, allowing three runs on four hits and no walks while striking out three batters in four innings.
Joey Valentine punched out two batters in a scoreless ninth inning of work.
Defensively, WSU was errorless for the second consecutive game and the 11th time this season. Notably, Patrick made a highlight-reel diving catch in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Raiders raced out to an early lead with two runs in the opening frame. Patrick blasted a solo homer while Fultz plated Smith on a bases-loaded walk.
Wright State's edge extended to 3-0 in the top of the second as Fisher reached base on a leadoff double and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Patrick.
WSU kept its foot on the gas with five runs in the top of the third, pushing its lead to 8-0. Luikart started things off with a leadoff homer while Greenwell and Patrick tallied two-out RBI singles. Smith punctuated the five-spot with a two-run double.
Toledo minimized its deficit to 8-3 in the bottom of the fourth after plating three runs on an RBI single and a two-run homer. However, a three-run double by Arnold in the top of the sixth pushed the Raider edge to 11-3.
Wright State increased its lead to double digits, 14-3, with three runs on four hits and an error in the top of the seventh.
Dane Thomas and Smith recorded RBI singles in the frame. An additional run scored on a throwing error by Toledo's catcher.
The momentum continued into the eighth inning, as Greenwell drove in two runs on a homer, followed by a solo blast off the bat of Sass. Fultz led off the ninth inning with a roundtrip to dead center, the first of his collegiate career.
