YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The Wright State baseball program concluded its regular season with a 9-8 loss against Youngstown State on Saturday afternoon at Nischwitz Stadium.
The Raiders (35-20, 22-8 HL) will turn their focus to next week's 2023 Horizon League Baseball Championship at Nischwitz Stadium from May 24-27, with the League's six schools represented in a double-elimination bracket.
WSU won its fifth consecutive Horizon League regular season title to clinch the top seed and an automatic bye to the tournament's second round.
Youngstown State (19-35, 13-16 HL) scored in four of its opening six frames, punctuated by a four-run second inning, which led to a 9-3 deficit for the Raiders.
Luke Arnold led off the seventh inning with a single and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by
Jay Luikart to reduce Wright State's deficit to 9-4.
The Raiders got within three runs in the top of the eighth, as
Sammy Sass touched home on a wild pitch and
Andrew Patrick drew a bases-loaded walk. WSU hit into a bases-loaded groundout to end its scoring in the eighth.
Gehrig Anglin and
Sammy Sass opened the ninth inning with consecutive hits and
Boston Smith reached base on a one-out walk to load the bases.
Luke Arnold cut the Raider deficit to 9-8 with a two-out, two-run single. However, Wright State's next batter grounded out to seal the loss.
The Raiders finished with ten hits and nine free passes but stranded ten runners on base. Arnold went 2-for-3 at the plate with a team-leading three runs batted in, a run scored, and a walk. Smith notched team-high marks in runs (3) and walks (3) to go along with a triple. Anglin, Sass, and
Patrick Fultz had two-hit performances, while Patrick, Luikart, and
Julian Greenwell added an RBI apiece.
Starting pitcher
Luke Stofel (4-5) took the loss after allowing seven runs, two earned, on five hits, two walks, and three hit by pitches in 3.1 innings of work.
Tristan Haught was tagged for two runs in two innings out of the bullpen.
Ty Roder held YSU scoreless in 1.2 innings of relief, while
Joey Valentine struck out the side in the eighth inning.
The Raider defense recorded an error in the first and second frames, resulting in five unearned runs scored by Youngstown State.
