From Thursday, March 28, until Saturday, March 30, the Oakland University baseball team matched up against the Wright State University (WSU) Raiders in a three-game series and came away with two wins and a single loss, improving their conference record to 4-5.
This is now the second series in the Horizon League this season that has tilted in favor of the Golden Grizzlies. Notably, the series occurred on the road for the Golden Grizzlies at Nischwitz Stadium in Dayton, Ohio.
Game 1: Oakland 19, Wright State 1
In the series’ first game, OU left no breathing room for the Raiders. Ten different batters made it on base for the Golden Grizzlies, and eight also tallied at least one RBI.
On the mound, Hunter Pidek was a force to be reckoned with. He allowed only five hits from the Raiders and a single run, which came off a home run in the game’s final inning.
The Golden Grizzlies scored nine total runs on seven hits to start the first inning, leaving a single runner on the base at the inning’s conclusion.
Although OU couldn’t replicate its explosive first inning, the team remained on fire all game. In the seven innings played, the Golden Grizzlies scored points in five of them.
By the end of the seventh inning, with OU up 18 points, the run rule was called, ending the game early in favor of the Golden Grizzlies.
Game 2: Wright State 5, Oakland 4
The second game of the series proved to be a close affair among both teams. Reggie Bussey and Brandon Heidal led the team in hits, with both players tallying two, while Aidan Orr had the most RBIs for the Golden Grizzlies with two.
Shane McAlinden and Sean Fekete handled the pitching duties for OU. McAlinden was dominant during his time on the mound despite being dished the loss, allowing only two hits and a run through the 4.1 innings he pitched.
The Golden Grizzlies and Raiders remained fiercely competitive in the first three innings. By the end of the third inning, the teams were tied 3-3. However, WSU broke the stalemate the following inning, moving ahead 4-2.
OU did respond in the top of the fifth inning with a run of their own, tying the game back up 4-4.
For the next two innings, the Golden Grizzlies and the Raiders continued to play with things tied up until the Raiders took the lead back for a final time in the eighth inning with a home run, marking the Golden Grizzlies first loss to the WSU this season.
Game 3: Oakland 12, Wright State 7
In the final game of the series, the Golden Grizzlies battled back from behind the Raiders to win the game and their first series against WSU this season.
Orr led OU in the batter’s box, finding contact on all of his attempts for two singles, a double and an RBI. Additionally, Lucas Day, Carter Hain and Bussey led the Golden Grizzlies in RBIs with two apiece.
Tanner Ware and Brandon Decker took the mound in the third game and combined for 130 pitches and nine strikeouts. Notably, Ware only allowed two hits and a single run in the three innings he pitched.
WSU got ahead of OU first in the second game, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. The Raiders also added to their lead in the third inning, scoring a single run to take a 3-0 lead over the Golden Grizzlies.
However, OU responded in the fifth inning, cycling through the entire batting order to score six points. As a result, the Golden Grizzlies took a 6-3 lead.
Despite this, the Raiders answered, taking back the lead through the next two innings. In the sixth inning, WSU tied things up at 6-6. The Raiders jumped ahead of OU in the following inning with a small 7-6 lead.
With two innings to go and down a point, the Golden Grizzlies held their composure. In the eighth and ninth innings, OU scored six points and only allowed a single hit, triumphantly ending their third game and the series against the Raiders.
Next on the agenda, the Golden Grizzlies will have a chance to keep their hot streak in the Horizon League alive. The team will play the Milwaukee Panthers on the road from Friday, April 5, until Sunday, April 7.