NORMAN, OK – The Wright State baseball team took a 12-2 series finale victory over the University of Oklahoma. The win was attributed to four Raider home runs, and an early first-inning lead by
Sammy Sass.
Wright State ended the day with 12 runs on 15 hits, with four walks and only five strikeouts. Leading the way for the Raiders was
Drew Baker with a hit in each of his four at bats. Following him was
Patrick Fultz,
Julian Greenwell,
Sammy Sass, and
Ben Vore, each putting up two hits.
Gus Gregory,
Parker Harrison, and
Jay Luikart each gave a single hit on the day. The Raiders recorded four home runs on the day, one each from Baker, Luikart, Sass, and Vore.
Wright State took an early lead in the first, as Greenwell singled to first base, and was sent home on a two-2 RBI homer by Sass. The lead continued into the second, as Baker singled through the left side, taking second on a ground out by Fultz, and stealing third on a Sooner throwing error. Baker scored after Vore doubled to left field, 3-0, followed by Gregory reaching base on a hit by pitch. A single down left center advanced Gregory to second, sending Vore to score another run for the Raiders, 4-0. A Sass single pushed Gregory home, furthering the lead 5-0. A triple in the third set Baker to score off a Fultz double to center field, taking a 6-0 lead in the top of the third.
The Sooners scored their only two runs in the bottom of the third, first scoring on a throwing error, and later on a single through the left side, 6-2. The fourth inning saw little action, with the Raiders reaching base on a Sass walk, with no hits from either team. Vore raised the WSU lead to six with a three-run home run in the top of the fifth, 9-2. A one-two-three bottom of the fifth by
Mychal Grogan held off the Sooners, preparing the Raiders to take their double-digit lead in the sixth.
The last runs of the game occurred in the top of the sixth, with a Luikart two-RBI home run raising the lead 11-2. A home run by Baker, sent through the left side, increased the lead to ten, making it 12-2. In the last three innings, there were four hits by the Sooners and two by the Raiders, with Gregory reaching base on a single in the seventh, and Fultz singling up the middle in the ninth. Oklahoma put up a fight late in the game, with one Sooner reaching base due to a hit by pitch, two reaching on fielder's choices, and recording a hit with a single by Kendall Pettis. Their ninth inning push was not successful, as a skillful grab by Baker in center field ended the game with two left on base.
Luikart started on the mound for Wright State, pitching one inning and allowing just one hit with one strikeout.
Brayden Schoetzow made his second appearance for the Raiders, coming in in the second, allowing no hits and one walk.
Mychal Grogan was awarded the Sunday game win after pitching six innings, allowing only two runs on four hits, two walks and two hit by pitch, with two strikeouts, after seeing 21 at bat.
James Hitt, starting pitcher for the Sooners, was tagged with the loss, after allowing six runs on eight hits, with one hit by pitch and three strikeouts in his 2.1 innings on the mound. The Sooners finished with two runs on six hits, led by Michael Snyder's one-RBI single in the third.
The Raiders will play again Tuesday, February 27 at 4:00 p.m. ET, a little closer to home, at Miami (OH). They will then head back south to compete in a three-game series against the University of Memphis March 1-3.
