MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin – The Wright State baseball team split Friday's doubleheader at Milwaukee, falling in a tight opener before erupting for 19 runs in the nightcap. The Raiders will aim to take the series in Saturday's finale at 3 p.m. ET.
 
Wright State (10-10, 4-1 HL) ended the day batting .379 with 27 runs on 25 hits, including four doubles, a triple, and five home runs. Boston Smith led WSU with five hits and four RBI. Luke Arnold followed, driving in four RBI on three hits. JP Peltier finished with four hits, followed by Braylen Blomquist, Conlan Daniel, Patrick Fultz, Cam Gilkerson, and Gus Gregory with two each. Carson Clark, Nate Manley, and Hunter Warren had a hit each The Raiders drew 16 walks and struck out 16 times, led by Patrick Fultz with five walks, followed by Arnold with three.
 
Milwaukee (4-17, 3-2 HL) finished with a .349 batting average, recording 17 runs on 22 hits with nine walks against their 10 strikeouts. Tyler Bickers led the Panthers with six hits, including one double, driving in five runs.
 
GAME 1 | Milwaukee 10, Wright State 8
The Panthers took the first game 10-8, as the Raiders finished with 12 hits, six walks, and 10 strikeouts. Boston Smith led the team with three hits, followed by Luke Arnold and Gus Gregory with two apiece. Carson Clark, Conlan Daniel, Patrick Fultz, Cam Gilkerson, and JP Peltier each had one hit in the series opener. The Raiders had six extra-base hits, putting up two doubles and four home runs.
 
Milwaukee struck first with a leadoff homer in the first inning. The Panthers continued scoring two runs on a fielding error in the second. Wright State closed the gap with two runs in the third, as Arnold and Smith put up back-to-back solo homers, 3-2.
 
Milwaukee answered in the bottom of the inning with a home run of their own, making it 4-2. They furthered their advantage in the fifth, scoring on a two-run homer to right field, then on a balk, 7-2.
 
The game stayed scoreless through the seventh until the Raiders added two runs in the top of the eighth. Gregory was the first Raider on base, singling to right field. Daniel was hit by a pitch to get on base and advance Gregory to second. Clark grounded out to put two in scoring position, as Arnold cleared the bases with a single down the right field line, 7-4.
 
The Panthers answered with a three RBI double in the bottom of the eighth before WSU capped scoring with four runs in the ninth. Fultz opened the ninth being walked, advancing to second on a Peltier fly out before Gilkerson homered down the right field line, making it 10-6. After Daniel was walked and advanced to second, Clark added the final hit of the day with a homer to right center, 10-8.
 
Starter Mychal Grogan (0-1) took the loss in Game 1, allowing six runs (four earned) over four innings. Chet Lax was solid in relief, surrendering just one run over three frames.  
 
Milwaukee finished with 10 runs on 14 hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Tyler Bickers led the team with four hits, including one double, driving in three runs. Milwaukee starting pitcher Gavin Theis (3-1) was awarded the win after pitching 6.0 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.
 
GAME 2 | Wright State 19, Milwaukee 7
The Raiders exploded for 19 runs on 13 hits and drew 10 walks while striking out just six times in Game 2. JP Peltier led the team with three hits, followed by Braylen Blomquist and Boston Smith with two each. Luke Arnold, Conlan Daniel, Patrick Fultz, Cam Gilkerson, Nate Manley, and Hunter Warren had one hit a piece. WSU recorded two doubles, a triple, and a home run in game two.
 
Milwaukee was again the first to put runs on the board, scoring two in the first with an RBI-single and RBI-walk. Wright State responded quickly with a six-run second inning, highlighted by a two-run double from Arnold and a bases-clearing triple by Warren. Peltier opened the second reaching on a double, advancing to third on a Gilkerson ground out. Manley was walked, advancing to second on a Daniel hit by pitch. With the bases loaded, Blomquist recorded his first two collegiate RBIs with a sacrifice fly to center field. Peltier scored, while Manley scored and Daniel advanced on an error by the shortstop. Arnold gave WSU the lead, doubling to right center to drive Daniel to score, 3-2. After Smith was hit by a pitch, Warren put on to right field, clearing the bases and stretching a triple, 5-2. Fultz drove in the final run of the inning, singling to center field, 6-2.
 
The Raiders held Milwaukee to a one-two-three bottom of the second, tacking on three more runs in the top of the third. Daniel was the first Raider on base in the third, reaching on a single before advancing to third on a Blomquist single. Arnold was hit by a pitch to load the bases for a two-RBI single for Smith, 8-2. Arnold added the third run, scoring on a balk.
 
Milwaukee added two runs in the third, scoring on a two-run homer, but the Raiders maintained their seven-run advantage with two in the fourth. Wright State opened the inning loading the bases as Fultz was walked followed by Peltier and Gilkerson singles. Nate Manley was walked to drive in a run, while Blomquist flew out to center field for Peltier to score, 11-4. The Panthers responded in the fourth, scoring on a double and two singles, 11-7.
 
The fifth went hitless before the Raiders took a nine-run lead in the sixth. In similar fashion to the fourth, WSU started the inning loading the bases as Gilkerson was walked, followed by Manley and Daniel being hit by a pitch. With two outs, all three advanced on a wild pitch with Gilkerson scoring, 12-7. Smith was walked to keep the bases loaded, allowing Warren to record an RBI-hit by pitch, 13-7. With Fultz at the plate, a passed ball allowed Daniel to score, while Warren and Smith advanced, pushing the lead to 14-7. Fultz was walked to once again load the bases. Peltier raised the Raiders advantage to nine, driving in two runs with a single to center field, 16-7.
 
The Raiders kept the offense rolling in the seventh, as Manley launched a solo homer to right-center, extending the lead to 17-7. WSU loaded the bases as Daniel was hit by a pitch, advancing to second on a Blomquist single. Both moved into scoring position on stolen bases before Arnold was walked. A Smith single allowed Daniel to score, making it 18-7. The final run of the day came as Warren grounded into a double play to allow Blomquist to score, 19-7. The Raider pitching staff struck out the first two Panthers in the seventh before Manley made a skillful catch on a foul ball, securing the 19-7 win via the 10-run rule.
 
Cam Allen started for WSU, while Warren Hartzell (2-0) closed the day and earned the win with three scoreless innings out of the bullpen. J.J. Thompson entered to finish the fourth, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out on batter.
 
Milwaukee finished with seven runs on eight hits with six walks against their seven strikeouts. Tyler Bickers led the team with two hits, driving in two runs. Panthers starter Logan Schulfer (1-5) was charged with the loss after allowing nine runs on six hits with two walks and no strikeouts.