Rochester, Mich. – Utilizing a late-inning rally in both games, the first of which ended in walk-off fashion, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies swept the Wright State Raiders in a Friday, May 6 twibill.

With the two victories, Oakland is now on a five-game win streak and moves a season-high three games above. 500 at 24-21 and 13-8 in Horizon League play.

This marks just the third time the Golden Grizzlies have won at least 24 games in a season since transitioning to the NCAA Division I level in 1998, joining the 2000 team that went 28-32 and the 25-31 2012 squad.

It was also second-year head coach Jordon Banfield's 42nd career victory, putting him just one shy of sixth on the program's all-time list.

While back to .500 at 21-21 overall, Wright State still occupies first place in the league standings at 14-6.

Oakland's record in conference play is good for third in the conference, with the UIC Flames in second at 18-18 (10-5).

Friday featured a bit of history and an impressive streak coming to an end, as well, as it marks the first time the Golden Grizzlies have ever won the season series with the Raiders, taking four of five in 2022. Additionally, the result of the first game marked the first time Wright State has lost the season series to a Horizon League foe since 2017.

Game 1

Oakland 5, Wright State 4 (7 innings)

W: Sophomore right-hander Ben Paugh (5-1)

L: Senior right-hander Donnie Nicodemus (0-2)

Homering twice in the span of five batters in the second, the Raiders held a 4-0 lead after four-and-a-half innings of play.

Sparked by senior third baseman Luke Malmanger walking and stealing second to leadoff their half of the fifth, the Golden Grizzlies scored three runs in the frame, with graduate student center fielder Seth Tucker and senior second baseman Jared Miller both collecting an RBI.

Oakland tied the contest one inning later when redshirt junior shortstop Thomas Green, who reached on a one-out walk, scored on an error.

Paugh, who now leads the team with five wins, recorded the final six outs with help from sophomore catcher Brandon Heidal, who gunned down sophomore center fielder Jay Luikart to end the seventh.

Senior designated hitter Michael Stygles led off the seventh with a single for the Golden Grizzlies, his fourth hit of the game and seventh in his last eight at-bats, and was replaced with a pinch-runner in redshirt freshman Liam Pollock.

After advancing to second on a wild pitch and third on a bunt single by Miller, Pollock came around to score the game-winning run when Heidal drew a bases-loaded walk.

Game 2

Oakland 6, Wright State 4

W: Freshman right-hander Hunter Pidek (3-1)

L: Freshman right-hander Chris Gallagher (0-2)

S: Sophomore right-hander Brandon Decker (1)

Like in Game 1, the Raiders jumped out to an early lead, with redshirt junior second baseman Gehrig Anglin launching a three-run home run in the first inning.

Oakland made it a one-run game, 3-2, in their part of the first when Stygles and Tucker scored on a double by Miller.

Going back up by multiple runs, freshman third baseman Andrew Patrick homered in the second to give Wright State a 4-2 lead, and this score would hold up until the eighth.

The Golden Grizzlies scored four times in this eighth inning, with Pollock, who again pinch-ran for Stygles, scoring the tying run on a single by redshirt senior right fielder Brenton Phillips and freshman Peter Jelenic, who ran for Miller, tallied the game-winner on a sacrifice fly by graduate student left fielder Cam Post.

Picking up his second win in a three-day span, Pidek delivered perhaps the most impressive individual performance of the day.

Inheriting a two-on, no-out jam in the sixth, the freshman walked the first batter he faced – loading the bases – but rallied to strikeout the next three Raiders, two of them swinging, and escape unharmed.

Up next
Oakland will play another pivotal Horizon League doubleheader – this one on the road – against the Milwaukee Panthers on Sunday, May 8 beginning at 1 p.m.