FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The Wright State baseball program collected its second Horizon League series sweep in a row with a 12-3 win at Purdue Fort Wayne on Sunday afternoon at Mastodon Field.
Justin McConnell led the Raiders (12-13, 7-2 HL) by going 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, a home run, and two runs batted in.
Justin Riemer had a two-run double in his second at-bat, while
Jay Luikart belted a solo homer in the fourth inning.
Zane Harris contributed with a double, a walk, and a team-leading three runs.
WSU jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the opening frame despite tallying just two hits. WSU took advantage of five free passes and three PFW errors, plating all seven runs with two outs on the scoreboard. Riemer reached base twice in the scoring burst on an error and a two-run double.
Avery Fisher and
Andrew Patrick recorded RBIs with a pair of bases-loaded walks.
Starting pitcher
Alex Theis (2-0) held the early edge in check, limiting the Mastodons (4-22, 2-7 HL) to just one run on seven hits and two walks in five innings. The New Riegel, Ohio native punched out the side in the first and second innings en route to a career-high nine strikeouts.
Entering the fifth inning ahead 8-1, Harris and
Drew Fleming had consecutive hits to put runners on corners with no outs. Harris went on to score on a groundout double play, increasing the Raiders' advantage to 9-1.
Wright State pushed its lead to 12-1 with a three-run seventh inning, highlighted by a two-run homer off the bat of McConnell. WSU's bullpen was a key reason for the lead remaining intact, as
Donnie Nicodemus,
Riley Perlich, and
Josh Laisure tossed scoreless outings.
The Mastodons reduced their deficit to 12-3 in the bottom of the ninth with a pair of runs on three hits and two walks. PFW's Jarrett Bickel tallied a game-high four hits on the day, which included a double and a home run.
The Raiders will return to action on Tuesday, April 5, against Cincinnati in the final round of the Joe Nuxhall Classic. Miami (OH) will host the matchup at Hayden Park.
