Wright State Drops WMU to Tie School Win Record

The Wright State baseball team tied the school single-season record for wins Saturday afternoon, scoring in six of nine innings to defeat Western Michigan 10-3 in a NCAA Regional elimination game at Jim Patterson Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Raiders jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first.  Matt Morrow started the game with a hit to right and Peyton Burdick drew a one-out walk.  One out later, Sean Murphy walked to load the bases and Gabe Snyder followed with a single deep behind the bag at second to drive in Morrow and Burdick.

WMU, though, answered with two of its own in the bottom of the first and it stayed that way until WSU took the lead for good with a run in the third as Burdick walked and Ryan Fucci plated him with a double down the left field line.

Wright State extended the lead to 5-2 with two more in the fourth.  After a John Brodner walk, a Zach Weatherford bunt hit and Morrow moving both runners into scoring position with another bunt, Mitch Roman delivered a two-run double to right center.

JD Orr made it 7-2 with a two-run single in the fifth and the margin grew to 9-2 an inning later as Burdick singled in Morrow and later scored on a Murphy triple to right center.

The Raiders rounded out their scoring in the seventh on an Orr double followed by a Brodner hit to right.

Robby Sexton (7-3) was in control after allowing the two runs in the first, giving up just a run on three hits and a walk over his final 5.2 innings of work, retiring 15 straight batters in one stretch.  Logan Blair closed out the game with 2.1 shutout innings.

With the victory, Wright State (45-16) tied the 1989 squad, which finished 45-12 in the program's second season in Division I, for the most single-season wins in school history.

Offensively, Morrow, Roman, Fucci, Murphy, Orr and Brodner each had two hits with Burdick scoring three times and Morrow twice.  Roman, Snyder and Orr each drove in two.

Wright State will face the Louisville/Ohio State loser in another elimination contest on Sunday at noon.  Should the Raiders win that one, they would face the Louisville/Ohio State winner later Sunday at 4:00.

(Release courtesy of Matt Zircher, Wright State Athletics)