DAYTON – The Wright State baseball team secured the series sweep over Youngstown State, defeating the Penguins in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The Raiders will travel to Xavier for a midweek game on Tuesday, April 1. WSU will stay on the road for Horizon League play, traveling to Northern Kentucky for a three-game series from Friday, April 4 to Sunday, April 6.
 
Wright State (14-11, 8-1 HL) recorded 19 runs on 22 hits, including four doubles, two triples, and three home runs. JP Peltier and Dane Thomas each drove in three runs over the two games, while Braylen Blomquist, Will Cook, and Boston Smith each drove in two. Hunter Warren led the team with five hits, followed by Blomquist, Cam Gilkerson, Peltier, and Smith with three apiece.
 
Game 1 | Wright State 9, Youngstown State 5
The Raiders took game one with nine runs on 10 hits, drawing eight walks while striking out eight times. JP Peltier and Boston Smith had two hits apiece, including a home run each, both driving in two runs. Will Cook and Dane Thomas each had one hit while driving in two runs.
 
The game was tied 3-3 after three innings. Youngstown State was up 1-0 after the first, homering to left field. The Raiders responded in the second, as Cam Gilkerson reached on a single, moving to second as Blomquist drew a walk. Cook hit a double to left center, sending both runners to score, taking a 2-1 lead. The Penguins regained the advantage 3-2 in the top of the third, scoring on a double and single, but Smith tied it at three with a 428-foot homer to left field in the bottom of the inning.
 
Wright State took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth, as a Warren single to center field loaded the bases after Thomas and Smith were walked. Peltier drew a bases-loaded walk, bringing Thomas home for the go-ahead run. YSU quickly responded in the sixth, tying it at four with a single through the left side before taking a 5-4 lead on an RBI walk. Blomquist led off with a single, advancing to third on Arnold's single and an error. In similar fashion to the third, Smith tied the game at five with a single to second, sending Blomquist to score.
 
The Raiders put up four runs in the bottom of the seventh, as Peltier homered to left field to regain the lead, 6-5. Blomquist was hit by a pitch and Arnold walked, with both advancing on a wild pitch. Another wild pitch allowed Blomquist to score and Arnold to move to third, 7-5. Cook was walked, stealing second to put two in scoring position. WSU capped the scoring as Thomas singled to left field, driving in both runners to secure the series win, 9-5.
 
Chet Lax (2-1) was awarded the win after entering in relief in the sixth, allowing no runs on two hits. Lax struck out two batters and walked three over 2.2 innings. Max Whitesell closed, pitching the final inning, allowing no runs or hits while striking out two batters.
 
Youngstown State finished with five runs on nine hits with seven walks and seven strikeouts. Nathan Beckley and Kyle Fossum recorded two hits and one RBI apiece. Aiden English (0-2) was charged with the loss, entering in relief in the sixth, allowing two runs on no hits with two walks.
 
Game 2 | Wright State 10, Youngstown State 9
Wright State secured the series sweep, recording 10 runs on 12 hits, drawing four walks against their nine strikeouts. Hunter Warren led the team with four hits, while Braylen Blomquist and Cam Gilkerson had two hits apiece.
 
Wright State held a 5-4 lead after the first, as leadoff hitter Boston Smith was walked, moving to second on a Warren single. Peltier singled down the right field line, allowing Smith to score and Warren to move to third. Gilkerson was walked to load the bases before Manley reached on an error, advancing to second as Peltier and Warren scored, making it a one-run game, 4-3. Blomquist followed with a double down the left field line, sending both runners to score to take the lead, 5-4.
 
The Raiders took a three-run lead in the second, as Smith reached on a triple, scoring on a Warren single. Warren moved to second on a wild pitch, moving to third on a Patrick Fultz groundout. Gilkerson doubled down the left field, driving in Warren to score, 7-4. The Penguins cut the deficit to one, scoring on sacrifice hits in the third and fourth. Fultz made it 8-6 with a solo homer down the left field line in the bottom of the fourth. But YSU again cut the deficit to one, scoring on an error in the fifth, 8-7.
 
WSU added two runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Gilkerson singled, stealing second before advancing to third on a Blomquist single. Blomquist stole second before moving to third as Gilkerson scored on a wild pitch. Thomas hit a triple down the right field line, allowing Blomquist to score, adding the final Raider run, 10-7. YSU hit a homer to right field in the sixth before capping scoring on the day in the ninth, scoring on a double to left center, 10-9.
 
Malachi Paplanus earned the win, pitching two innings and allowing one run on one hit with no walks and one strikeout. Garrett Peters earned his second save of the season, pitching the final 2.1 innings, striking out three batters, walking none, and allowing one run on three hits.
 
The Penguins finished with nine runs on 11 hits with nine walks and six strikeouts. They were led by Jack Johnson, recording two hits and two RBI. Starting pitcher Tyler Heflin (0-3) took the loss, allowing seven runs, six earned, on five hits. Heflin walked two batters and struck out one in 1.1 innings of work.