WSU Ends Season by Setting School Win Total; Advancing to Regional Final for Second Straight Season

The Horizon League regular season and tournament champion, Wright State advanced to the NCAA Regional Final for the second consecutive season before falling to Louisville, 3-1, to have its season come to an end.

Earlier in the day, Wright State defeated Ohio State, 7-3, to stay alive in the tournament.

(1) Louisville 3, (3) Wright State 1
The Wright State baseball team saw its postseason run come to an end on Sunday afternoon as #2 national seed and host Louisville advanced to next week's Super Regionals with a 3-1 decision at Jim Patterson Stadium.

After three scoreless innings, the Cardinals went in front to stay in the fourth as Will Smith reached on an infield hit to start the frame and Nick Solak followed with a two-run home run to left.  Louisville then added another run in the sixth on a RBI single by Solak.

WSU put together a two-out rally for a run in the ninth as JD Orr doubled down the right field line and Gabe Snyder drove him in with a single to right center, but a fly out ended the game.

Two Raiders were selected to the All-Tournament Team in senior outfielder Ryan Fucci and freshman outfielder Orr.  Fucci hit .333 with a team-high five RBI in four games while Orr hit a team-best .533 (8 for 15) with four runs scored and three RBI.

Wright State finishes the season with a final record of 46-17.

(3) Wright State 7, (2) Ohio State 3
For the second straight year, the baseball team has advanced to the NCAA Regional Finals, having accomplished the feat and set a single-season school record for wins in the process with a 7-3 victory over #20 Ohio State Sunday afternoon at Jim Patterson Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Buckeyes opened the scoring on a run with nobody out in the first, but Raider Caleb Sampen limited the damage to just one by retiring three straight hitters on a strikeout, a pop up and a ground out.

WSU answered in the bottom of the first with five runs coming on six hitters, sending nine batters to the plate.  Following singles by Matt Morrow and Peyton Burdick, a Ryan Fucci hit through the left side of the infield tied the game at 1-1.  Sean Murphy then drove a 2-2 pitch to the gap in left center for a double to plate Burdick and Fucci and JD Orr made it 4-1 as he knocked in Murphy with a single to right.  The final run came in as Brad Macciocchi reached on an infield hit to short with Orr scoring all the way from second base.

Gabe Snyder extended the margin to 6-1 in the third by blasting a solo home run to right, his 10th of the season.

OSU cut the deficit to 6-3 with single runs in the fourth and eighth, but would get no closer as Wright State added an insurance run in its half of the eighth on a Morrow sacrifice fly.

Sampen (9-4) went five innings for the victory, limiting the Buckeyes to two runs and four hits while striking out two.  Fellow freshman Zane Collins pitched the final four innings in earning the save, his second of the year, surrending an unearned run, a hit and a walk while also striking out two.

At the plate, Orr finished with three hits and two runs scored while Murphy had two hits and two RBI, Morrow and Burdick had two hits each.