HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Wright State University baseball team scored 10 unanswered runs over the final four innings to come from behind for a 15-9 victory over Northern Kentucky University at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex on Wednesday in nonconference action.
Michael Timm recorded four hits in six at-bats, scored four times and batted in two runs to lead the way for Wright State (17-6). Gabe Snyder went 3-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs and three runs scored, while Andrew McCafferty finished 3-for-6 with one run scored for the Raiders, who collected 20 hits and left seven baserunners stranded.
Andrew Hasting (1-0) earned the victory on the mound for Wright State, pitching two innings of relief and allowing one run on one hit. Starter Jason Foster went 2.2 innings and surrendered five runs, just two earned, on six hits.
NKU took advantage of a Wright State error in the bottom of the second inning to open the game's scoring.
Ryan LeFevers hit a one-out single up the middle before
Anthony Vagnier flew out to center field.
Dominic Mercurio kept the inning alive, reaching base when shortstop Mitch Roman bobbled the ball.
Cole Bauml loaded the bases on four-straight pitches, and
Kyle Colletta stepped to the plate and sent a 1-1 pitch deep into left-center to bring LeFevers, Mercurio and Bauml around to score for a 3-0 advantage.
The Norse struck again the next inning.
David Head hit a lead-off single through the left side and later stole second. Vagnier was hit by a pitch with two outs, putting runners on first and second. Mercurio then singled to center field, and Head snuck under the tag in a play at the plate to give NKU a 4-0 advantage. Bauml extended his hitting streak to 30 games, dating back to last season, when he sent a 1-2 pitch into left-center field to put the Norse ahead, 5-0.
Wright State put its first run on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning on a lead-off home run over the left-field wall by Timm. Snyder followed with a double to right field, but he was left stranded as
Justin Watts struck out Ryan Fucci before Matt Morrow and Jason DeFevers grounded out to end the inning.
NKU added three more runs to its total in the bottom of the frame.
Cody Kuzniczci led off the Norse half of the inning with a single to center field, and he moved to second and third on ground outs by
Trey Ganns and
David Head.
Logan Spurlin and LeFevers drew walks to load the bases before Vagnier hit a first-pitch double off the right field wall, allowing Kuzniczci, Spurlin and LeFevers to score, but the inning ended as Vagnier slid over the third base bag and was tagged out with the NKU leading, 8-1.
The Raiders pulled to within 8-5 in the fifth. Brad Macciocchi drew a walk to start the inning, and he went to third on a Derreck Garcia double to left field. A ground out from Roman allowed Macciocchi to score, and Timm hit a two-out double to deep center field to cut the NKU advantage to 8-3.
After a Norse pitching change, Snyder sent a two-run blast over the center-field wall to pull Wright State to within three (8-5). Bauml, however, pushed the NKU advantage to 9-5 in the bottom of the frame with his team-leading fifth home run of the season, a 1-2 shot to dead center field.
Wright State added a run in the sixth when Garcia grounded out as Morrow came home to cut the Norse lead to 9-6 before the Raiders tied took the lead the following inning. McCafferty started the frame with a single that bounced off
Nick Beard's leg, but he was taken off the base path as Timm reached on a fielder's choice.
Snyder followed with a double to right field, and Sean Murphy was sent in to pinch hit as
Cody Cooper replaced Beard on the mound for the Norse. Murphy fouled out before Snyder moved to third and Timm scored on a wild pitch. Morrow was hit by a pitch, and DeFevers followed with a 2-1 double down the left-field line to bring Snyder and Morrow home, tying the game at 9-all.
Macciocchi drew a walk, putting runners on first and second, and a Garcia double down the right-field line scored DeFevers and Macciocchi for an 11-9 Wright State advantage. The Raiders added three runs in the eighth and one in the ninth for the final margin of the game.
Bauml went 2-for-4 from the plate for the Norse with two runs scored, two RBIs and a home run, while Colletta and Kuzniczci each posted two-hit days.
Cody Cooper (1-3) went just 0.1 innings and gave up three runs on one hit in the loss. Watts pitched 4.2 innings allowed four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts.
NKU stays in the tristate area this weekend as the Norse play a three-game series against Xavier. Friday and Saturday's contests will be played at Hayden Field in Cincinnati, Ohio. First pitch for the opener is set for 3 p.m. with a 1 p.m. start time scheduled for Saturday. Sunday's finale will take place at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex at 3 p.m.
Links to live stats for each game and John Asalon's audio broadcast for Friday and Saturday are available at NKUNorse.com. The series finale will be available for viewing on ASun.TV, and fans can follow @NKUNorseGameDay on Twitter for game updates as well.
