Behind the pitching of Bryce Shafer (Wabash,
Ind./Northfield H.S.), Valparaiso defeated
Wright State 2-1 in the nightcap of Sunday’s doubleheader at Nischwitz Stadium
in Dayton, Ohio to salvage a split of the twinbill after the Raiders took the
opener 16-1.
Shafer went eight strong
innings to earn his sixth win (6-2) of the season, allowing just one unearned
run and scattered nine hits. He struck
out seven and walked just two.
“Shafer did it again,” head
coach Tracy Woodson said. “He continues to pitch well.”
Wright State (21-22, 9-7 Horizon) struck first scoring an unearned
run in the second inning on a Garret Gray double following a Crusader fielding
error.
Valpo got the run back in the
third as Josh Wallace (Bellefountaine, Ohio/Bellefountaine
H.S.) singled with two outs to score Kyle Muhlsteff (Yorba Linda,
Calif./Esperanza H.S.) and tie
the game.
The Crusaders took the lead
in the sixth with an unearned run of their own.
Andrew Quinnette’s (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo H.S.)
single through the left side scored Matt
Lenski (Milwaukee, Wis./Marquette University H.S.). Valpo looked to add on with the bases loaded
and just one out, but a fly out and strikeout ended the inning.
Jarad Miller
(Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll H.S.) came on in the ninth for
his 10th save of the season.
“Miller did a nice job of
closing for us,” added Woodson.
Lenski, Wallace, and Steven Scoby (Denton, Mich./Kellogg
H.S.) each had two hits for the Crusaders in game two as part of Valpo’s
nine-hit attack. For Scoby, he extended
his hitting streak to nine straight games.
Michael Meintel suffered the
loss (1-3) in relief for Wright
State, allowing the one
unearned run that was the difference.
In the opener, Wright State
jumped on top early with three runs in both the second and third innings while
adding two more in the fifth to take an 8-0 lead.
Muhlsteff homered to lead off
the sixth for Valpo, one of just five hits for the Crusaders in the game, to provide
the only offense in game one. He had
three hits for the Brown and Gold in the contest.
The Raiders added a run in
the seventh and seven more in the eighth, three of which were unearned, to
coast to the win. Three Wright State
hitters had three hits a piece as part of a 21-hit attack.
Rylan Ostrosky earned the win
(5-3), allowing just one run and five hits in 6.2 innings of work. Alex
Berry (Olney, Ill./East Richland H.S.) suffered the loss
(2-5), allowing eight runs, six earned, and nine hits in five innings.
Valparaiso (19-19, 7-8) will return to Emory G. Bauer Field on
Tuesday afternoon to host Bradley. First
pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. with all the action carried live on
sportsjuice.com.