MEMPHIS, TN – The Wright State baseball team fell in the series opener to Memphis 6-3 on Friday night. The Raiders are now 2-6 on the season, and will continue the three-game series against Memphis on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Game 2 - Saturday, March 2 - 3:00 p.m. ET - Live Stats
The Raiders had difficulties scoring with runners in scoring position, managing only three runs on seven hits and two walks.
Jay Luikart and
Ben Vore led the team, each giving two hits, while
Luke Arnold,
Gus Gregory, and
Sammy Sass each had one hit on the day. The two Raider walks came from
Patrick Fultz and Gregory.
Though four of their hits came in the first five innings, the Raiders did not until the eighth, while the Tigers took a 5-0 lead in the third. In the first at-bat of the eighth, Vore put a homer down the right field line, making the score 5-1. Gregory followed singling through the right side, allowing Sass to hit a two RBI home run, lowering the Tiger advantage to two, 5-3. Following in Vore and Sass's footsteps, the Tigers hit it out of the park in the bottom of the eighth, raising their lead to three. Wright State was unable to get any runners on base in the ninth, ending the game 6-3 in favor of Memphis.
Taking the Friday night loss was starting pitcher
Jake Shirk (0-2), after allowing five runs on eight hits. Shirk was able to strikeout three batters in his five innings of work. On the mound for the rest of the game were
Chet Lax,
Warren Hartzell, and
Chris Gallagher. Lax and Hartzell each allowed one hit, with Hartzell allowing the Tiger's eighth inning homer. Gallagher entered in the eighth, striking out two batters and allowing no hits.
Taking the win on the night was David Warren (1-1), after holding off the Raiders for seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts. The save was awarded to Brayden Sanders (S 3), after he put up a no hitter in the ninth. The Tigers finished with six runs on ten hits with two reaching base on walks and two on hit by pitches. Leading Memphis at the plate was Duante Stuart, with two runs in his three at bats, putting up two RBI. Stuart was the first to put runs on the board, with a two RBI double in the first. Aaron Smigelski added the final run of the game with his eighth inning homer.
