DAYTON – The Wright State baseball team defeated Miami (OH) 6-5 in their 2024 home opener on Wednesday afternoon, thanks to a walk off single by
Boston Smith. Wright State is now 4-7 on the season, and will be back on the road for a three-game series at Eastern Kentucky, March 8-10.
Recording six runs on 13 hits with five walks, the Raiders were led by
Sammy Sass with three hits, including a lead grabbing home run in the sixth. Following Sass with two hits was
Drew Baker,
Julian Greenwell,
Jay Luikart, and
Boston Smith, while
Gus Gregory and Ven Vore each recorded on hit on the day. Hitting outside of the park alongside Sass was Greenwell and Luikart. Baker and Greenwell both made up one of their hits with a double.
The Raiders were off to a slow start, only putting up one run in the first three innings, that coming as a sacrifice fly by Greenwell to send
JP Peltier home, while Miami took the lead in the second with a 2 RBI homer. Miami raised their lead in the fourth, sending two to score off a single to left field, 4-1.
The following four runs all came from homers, beginning with Luikart sending it down the right field line, to lower the Miami lead to two in the fifth, 4-2. Next was a two RBI home run by Greenwell, sending Gregory home and tying the game at four. Making it back-to-back homers was Sass, giving Wright State the lead 5-4. Though Miami tied the game at five in the eighth, a single by Smith sent Sass across home plate, for a walk-off win, 6-5.
Chris Gallagher (1-0) was awarded the win for the midweek matchup, after allowing only two hits with no walks in his one and two third innings on the mound.
Mychal Grogan entered in the third, putting in one and a third innings of work and allowing two runs on two hits with three walks, and a team leading three strikeouts.
Warren Hartzell notably put in three innings of work, allowing no runs with four hits and no walks, with two strikeouts.
Junior Nick DeMonica (0-1) took the loss after allowing the walk-off single that secured the Raiders' victory. DeMonica entered in the seventh and allowed one run on five hits, with no walks and two strikeouts in his two and a third innings of work. Miami scored five runs on 12 hits and recorded six walks, led by Dillon Baker as he recorded four hits on the day. Tre Keels stood out, recording the two RBI homer to give Miami their initial lead in the second. Keels recorded the one hit in his three at bats, earning two RBI.
