FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Racking up 17 hits, their second-highest total of the season, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies extended their win streak to four by topping Purdue Fort Wayne, 11-5, on Thursday, May 11 at Mastodon Field.
Thursday was Oakland's 10th road victory of the 2023 campaign and the Golden Grizzlies improve to 23-27 (14-11 Horizon League), while Purdue Fort Wayne is now 10-39 and 6-19 in the conference.
Turning in his third quality start of the season, sophomore right-hander Hunter Pidek earned his second win, which have coincidentally both come against the Mastodons. Throwing 59 of his 94 pitches for strikes and lowering his ERA to 4.03, he went six innings, giving up just one run on three hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
Redshirt senior Brett Hagen, a fellow righty, worked the seventh and eighth innings and freshman left-hander Tanner Ware recorded the contest's final three outs.
Both finishing 3-4, junior designated hitter Lucas Loos and redshirt sophomore center fielder Reagan Paulina paced Oakland's 17-hit showing, with freshman left fielder Reggie Bussey, senior right fielder Ian Cleary, junior catcher Brandon Heidal, graduate student second baseman Jared Miller and sophomore third baseman Brandon Nigh all also recording multiple knocks.
Driving in three of the Golden Grizzlies' first four runs Thursday, Loos has now knocked in a run in four of the last five games and his 25 RBI on the season are fifth-most on the club, while Paulina is making the most of his increased playing time by going 5-7 (.714) over the last two games with his first home run of the year, his first triple, two runs scored and three RBI.
Bumping his batting average up two more points to .327, Cleary's 2-5 evening extended his hit streak to seven games.
Indianapolis, Indiana junior righty Mac Ayres, a Ball State Cardinals transfer, started for Purdue Fort Wayne and finished with a line of six runs (five earned) on 10 hits with two walks and five strikeouts over five innings.
Noblesville, Indiana senior second baseman Cade Nelis tallied three of the Mastodons' eight hits, two of which were doubles, and drove in a pair.
GRIZZVISION WITH HEAD COACH JORDON BANFIELD
UP NEXT
The middle of this three-game set, these two will be right back at it on Friday, May 12 at 3 p.m.
Senior left-hander
Travis Densmore (5-5, 5.64 ERA, 59 IP) will go for Oakland and Purdue Fort Wayne will counter with Lafayette, Indiana freshman righty Brody Fine (1-5, 7.64 ERA, 35.1 IP).
HORIZON LEAGUE STANDINGS
The Golden Grizzlies' 14-11 mark in conference play is good for third place in the Horizon League two games back of the second-place Northern Kentucky Norse (27-20, 15-9) in the loss column.
Northern Kentucky hosts the fifth-place Youngstown State Penguins (15-32, 9-14), who have won eight in a row, in a three-game series this weekend, beginning at 11 a.m. on Friday.
Here are the current Horizon League standings:
- 1 - Wright State Raiders (31-18, 18-6)
- 2 - Northern Kentucky Norse (27-20, 15-9)
- 3 - Oakland Golden Grizzlies (23-27, 14-11)
- 4 - Milwaukee Panthers (22-24, 10-13)
- 5 - Youngstown State Penguins (15-32, 9-14)
- 6 - Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (10-39, 6-19)
