Wright State’s Cinderella slippers were taken today in a heated regional final between No. 3 seed WSU and No. 1 seed Illinois that ended in an 8-4 season ending loss for the Raiders.
WSU held an early 2-0 lead, and only trailed by a run going into the ninth inning.
The Raiders finished the game without their head coach Greg Lovelady and shortstop Mitch Roman. The duo was ejected from Monday’s game.
Per NCAA rules, Lovelady was not allowed to participate in Monday’s postgame press conference due to his ejection.
“My job is to get in front of the plate, catch the ball and make a tag. I did my job, and, I don't know, up to the umpire to do his job and I don't know if he did or not,” WSU catcher Sean Murphy said.
The Raiders had their deepest postseason run in program history after winning 43 games.
After going 8-0 in the regular season, EJ Trapino took his first loss of the season, allowing one run in 1.2 innings.
The usually mild-mannered Lovelady got angry in the top of the sixth when Illinois took a 5-4 lead after WSU rallied from a 4-2 deficit. Illinois' David Kerian ran into Murphy as Murphy went to field the ball. Lovelady was Tejected by home plate umpire John Bennett.
“There was a judgment decision made by myself deemed the slide was not malicious,” Bennett said. “Greg (Lovelady) thought differently.”
The run went on to be the eventual game-winner for the Illini.
After the Raiders went scoreless in the bottom of the sixth, Roman was ejected as the Raiders took the field in the top of the seventh. Bennett said the ejection stemmed from Roman being unsportsmanlike towards the Fighting Illini.
WSU started the game with a 2-0 lead in the third after Murphy and Mark Fowler had RBI base hits.
Illinois responded with four runs against WSU starter Trevor Swaney in the fifth inning to take a 4-2 lead. WSU answered when Murphy and Fowler once again had RBI hits in the bottom half of the fifth. The duo combined for all four of WSU’s RBIs, and five of Wright State’s eight hits.
After Illinois took a 5-4 lead in the sixth, the Illini posted three runs in the ninth inning against WSU closer Andrew Elliott.
While the loss disappointed the Raiders, Fowler deemed the season a success.
“I mean, I won't hang my head on one game at the end of my career,” Fowler said. “But it's been a great season and that's all I could say for it.”
