In a weekend meant to celebrate its seniors, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies baseball team (10-32, 5-16 Horizon) saw its season continue to unravel, as it was swept by the Wright State Raiders at the Oakland Baseball Field, extending its losing streak to 12 games.
Looking at the Horizon League standings, Oakland remains in the cellar, trailing the Youngstown State Penguins.
To move ahead of Youngstown State, the Golden Grizzlies would need to win out in conference play while the Penguins lose the remainder of their conference slate. A tie is still within reach, but would require Oakland to win two of its final three conference games, along with a winless finish from the Penguins.
Game 1: Wright State 8, Oakland 4
The Raiders took advantage of an Oakland team that lacked offensive execution in game one, striking first in the second inning. After consecutive singles from Patrick Fultz and Hunter Warren, Fultz made it home on a wild pitch to put Wright State up 1-0.
Wright State extended its lead in the fourth courtesy of Warren, who connected for an RBI single to push across Braylen Blomquist for a 2-0 lead. Oakland, meanwhile, remained scoreless through four innings, leaving six runners on base through the first four innings.
Following an RBI double from Warren, the Raiders blew the game open in the sixth inning. Keegan Holmstrom followed up Warren with an RBI double of his own before Andrew Duncan sent a deep shot to left field for a three-run home run, putting Wright State further ahead, 7-0.
Oakland showed signs of life in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with just a single out. Searching for a breakthrough, Ben Clark delivered an RBI single for Oakland’s first run of the game.
Kyle Revere added to the effort, reaching on a fielder’s choice that allowed Tony Konopiots to score. Oakland showed aggression on the basepaths, with Revere stealing second and Sam Patton stealing home, cutting into the deficit, 7-3.
In the following inning, both offenses produced, with Blomquist launching a solo home run for the Raiders and Carter Hain notching an RBI single, making it an 8-4 ball game still in favor of Wright State.
After both teams went scoreless through the final two innings, the Raiders closed out the win. Oakland’s missed opportunities proved costly, as the Golden Grizzlies stranded a costly 14 runners on base over the course of game one.
Game 2: Wright State 6, Oakland 1
Unlike the opener, runs were hard to come by early in game two.
With Oakland pitcher Josh Rosenblitt and Raider pitcher Griffen Paige on the mound, both pitchers kept the offenses in check. While both sides scattered a few hits, both teams were scoreless through the first five innings.
Wright State finally broke through in the sixth inning, as a Holmstrom double set things in motion. With Holmstrom on, JP Peltier brought him home with an RBI double before Peltier made it home off a Duncan RBI single to give Wright State a 2-0 lead.
Wright State added insurance in the seventh inning as a series of small ball plays, including an Oakland error, loaded the bases for the Raiders. Up to bat next for Wright State was Warren, who plated a run and reached first on a fielder’s choice to extend the lead to 3-0.
Oakland answered in the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run from Hain, but the Raiders kept the pressure on, as a single from Zac Butler in the next inning pushed two more Wright State runs across to make it a 5-1 ball game.
In the top of the ninth, Duncan drove in Wright State’s final run of the game with an RBI single to put the Raiders up 6-1. Oakland threatened late with Hain and Sam Griffith hitting consecutive singles, but Raider pitcher Malachi Paplanus secured the final out, sealing the series for Wright State.
Game 3: Wright State 16, Oakland 2
The finale turned into a rout, as Wright State completed the sweep over Oakland by way of the run rule through seven innings.
Both teams struck early in the finale as an RBI single from Peltier marked the first run of the afternoon for the Raiders in the opening inning. Clark responded for Oakland in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run, tying up the game at 1-1.
Wright State responded immediately in the second, as Cy Turner made it home off a Blomquist groundout to give the Raiders the lead. A two-run home run from Fultz in the same frame quickly stretched the lead to 4-1.
After two scoreless innings, the Raiders broke the game open in the fifth inning thanks to Turner, who sent one soaring to deep center field for a three-run home run, extending the Raider lead to 7-1.
Through the following two innings, the Raider offense overwhelmed Oakland as Turner and Blomquist both registered 2RBI doubles in the sixth. After the Raiders plated three more runs in the seventh, a two-run homer from Turner effectively put the game out of reach.
Although Clark hit another home run in the bottom of the seventh, setting a new career-high for home runs in a game, it wasn’t enough to extend the game, as Wright State secured the sweep in dominant fashion.
On Deck
With the home slate now behind them and the losing streak still mounting, the Golden Grizzlies will look to regroup on the road as they take on the Central Michigan Chippewas (19-27, 9-18 MAC) on the road this upcoming Tuesday, May 5.
Coming off a series defeat to Northern Illinois, Central Michigan has already seen Oakland once this season in an 11-6 win in April on Oakland’s home turf. The Chippewas are undefeated against the Horizon League this season, as they dismantled Youngstown State in a run-rule win.
For Oakland, the matchup presents the opportunity to halt its slide before closing out the regular season, but the team’s recent results suggest that won’t come easily.
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