DAYTON – The Wright State Baseball team defeated the University of Toledo 22-9 on Wednesday afternoon. Wright State is now 9-7 on the season, and will begin conference play at home on Friday for a three-game series against Milwaukee. The series will run from March 15-17, with ESPN+ live streams for the Friday and Saturday games, and live stats provided for all three.
Wright State finished with 22 runs on 19 hits, with 11 walks and only four strikeouts. They were led by
Jay Luikart, putting up five hits on the day.
Ben Vore followed, adding three hits for the Raiders.
Carson Clark,
JP Peltier, and
Sammy Sass each recorded two hits, while
Drew Baker,
Zade Fusselman,
Julian Greenwell,
Parker Harrison, and
Boston Smith each had one hit. Adding up the Raider's 11 walks include two each from Baker, Peltier, Sass, and Vore, and one walk by Clark, Smith, and Parker. There were multiple extra-base hits on the day, as Greenwell, Luikart, and Vore each put up doubles. Vore and Smith had one triple each, and Luikart had a home run, his team leading sixth on the year.
In similar fashion to the game prior, the Raiders got off to a five-to-nothing start in the bottom of the second, beginning with an RBI single by Vore, sending Smith to score. Greenwell followed with a sacrifice fly, putting Harrison across home. Luikart added a two RBI single, with an RBI single from Baker being the final hit of the inning. Wright State maintained their lead through the third, with the Rockets adding no hits in the inning. Toledo put a run on the board in the next inning, with an RBI single to center field, 5-1.
Wright State took a ten-run lead in the bottom of the fourth, as Smith recorded a sacrifice fly, followed by an RBI single by Clark. Peltier was walked, loading the bases for a three-RBI double by Vore. A double by Greenwell allowed Vore to score, giving the Raiders a ten-run advantage. Baker reached base on a hit by pitch in the fifth, scoring off a Smith triple. Toledo put scored two runs in the sixth inning, with a single and sacrifice fly, 12-3. A two-RBI single by Sass regained the Raider's double-digit lead, 14-3. The Rockets put up two more runs, with a single and triple, 14-5.
Wright State reached 20 runs in the bottom of the seventh, starting with a Luikart home run to left field. With the bases loaded, Peltier was hit by a pitch, earning an RBI, immediately followed by a sacrifice fly by Vore. Fusselman recorded his first run and hit as a Raider with an RBI single. A Luikart two-RBI double put the twentieth run on the board. Toledo reacted adding four runs in the eighth, off a single and two doubles, 9-20. Vore added the final runs of the day in the eighth, with a triple to right field, 22-9.
Garret Simpson (1-1) was awarded the win after pitching five innings with three runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Kyle Kesel and
Mychal Grogan each seconded two strikeouts.
Nate Shaw and Duke Benge round out the Raider's nine strikeouts adding one each.
Matt LeLito (0-2) was charged with the loss after pitching one and a third innings and allowing four runs on three hits with one walk. Toledo finished with nine runs on 11 hits with six walks and nine strikeouts. They were led by Garret Pike with four hits, consisting of one double and one triple in his five at bats.
