Wright State used
big innings in both games of Friday’s doubleheader to win a pair of games
against Valparaiso
by the scores of 11-1 and 10-4 at Emory G. Bauer Field.
“We didn’t come out to play
today,” head coach Tracy Woodson
said. “We didn’t compete and it is very
disappointing.”
The Raiders jumped on top in
game one and rode the game pitching performance by Alex Kaminsky. The right-hander scattered just five hits and
struck out five while not walking a batter in the complete game victory (3-3).
Wright State scored first in
the top of the second inning as Ryan Ashe singled home Tristan Moore before a
seven run fifth broke the game open.
Aaron Fields opened the inning with a solo homer and added a two-run
single in his second at bat of the frame as 13 Raiders came to the plate in the
inning.
Three more runs crossed the
plate in the top of the seventh before Valpo finally broke onto the
scoreboard. Back-to-back singles by Justin Frane (Huntertown,
Ind./Carroll H.S.) and Kyle Gaedele (Arlington Heights, Ill./Rolling Meadows
H.S.) put runners on the corners to lead off the inning. Robbie
Robinson (Brea, Calif./Olinda H.S.) drove home Frane on a
sacrifice fly to account for Valpo’s lone tally.
Gaedele had two of Valpo’s
five hits in the opener while three different Raiders tallied three hits each
as part of a 17-hit attack. Bryce Shafer (Wabash, Ind./Northfield
H.S.) suffered the loss (5-4), allowing eight runs and 11 hits in 4.2 innings
of work.
In game two Wright State
took advantage of three Valpo errors in the top of the first to crack the
scoreboard. The Raiders manufactured
another run in the third on a lead-off double by Casey McGrew, who went 5-for-5
in the nightcap and 8-for-9 on the afternoon.
Following a sacrifice bunt, a sacrifice fly plated McGrew.
Four more runs crossed the
plate in the fourth, including a two-run double by McGrew, as Wright State
pushed its advantage to 6-0.
Valpo cut its deficit in half
in the bottom of the fourth. A lead-off
walk to Frane was followed by back-to-back singles by Gaedele and Robinson to
score the first run. Two more singles
followed, one by Paul Heinkel (Fond du Lac, Wis./Winnebago
Lutheran Academy) and another by Billy
Cribbs (Rochester, Mich./Rochester H.S.), each of which scored runs. Valpo still had runners on first and second
with no one out, but a popped up bunt and a fly out into a double play ended
the threat.
A two-run double by Jake
Hibberd in the sixth made it 8-3 Raiders and Wright State added single runs in
the eighth and ninth. Damon McCormick (Louisville, Ky./Saint
Xavier H.S.) hit a solo homerun with one out in the ninth for Valpo to close
the scoring.
Jordan Marker earned the
victory (1-1) for Wright
State (18-15, 8-3
Horizon), pitching 3.2 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just two
hits. Jon Gulbransen (Appleton,
Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran H.S.)
suffered the loss (3-3) for Valpo, allowing eight runs, seven of which were
earned, and 12 hits in six innings.
Gaedele and McCormick each
had two hits for Valpo in the night cap, as Valpo tallied eight on the
game. WrightState
had 16 hits as part of a 33-hit doubleheader.
“We have to compete for an
entire nine innings, and we didn’t today,” Woodson said. “We need to come out and do that on Sunday.”
Valparaiso (17-21, 5-3) will return to action on Sunday
afternoon, hosting UIC at Emory G. Bauer Field.
First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 12 p.m.