HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — The Wright State baseball program fell to Northern Kentucky 9-5 on Sunday afternoon at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex. 

Offensively, Wright State (15-12, 7-2 HL) was held to five hits and four walks. Jay Luikart led the Raiders at the plate, as he batted 2-for-3 with a go-ahead RBI single, a double, and a walk. Dane Thomas was plunked twice and added a single, while Luke Arnold recorded an RBI single for his lone hit of the game. 

Starting pitcher Luke Stofel allowed just one run on three hits and four walks in five innings of work. Alex Theis (1-2) took the losing decision after giving up three runs in 1.2 innings of relief. Chris Gallagher, Garret Simpson, Joey Valentine, and Warren Hartzell were also tagged for runs out of the bullpen. 

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning, as NKU (13-13, 5-4 HL) reached the board on a two-out RBI single. Stofel held the Norse scoreless in the fourth and fifth frames to keep WSU's deficit at one run. 

The Raiders plated two runs on three hits, a walk, and an error in the top of the sixth to go up 2-1. Ben Stoner led off the frame with a walk, reached second on a single by Thomas, and scored on a Norse throwing error. Luikart recorded a two-out RBI single later in the inning for the go-ahead run. 

Northern Kentucky answered back with a pair of bases-loaded walks, a three-run double, and an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, resulting in a 7-2 deficit for Wright State. The Norse pushed across two more runs in the bottom of the eighth to extend their advantage to 9-2. 

Wright State rallied back with three runs on an RBI single by Arnold and bases-loaded free passes by Thomas and Patrick Fultz. However, Sammy Sass struck out with the bases loaded, ending WSU's seven-game win streak over conference opponents.

Wright State will return to action against Cincinnati on Tuesday, April 4, at the Joe Nuxhall Classic in Oxford, Ohio.