Wright State softball won seven consecutive games with three consecutive shutouts before losing to Oakland in the final game of a three-game series at the WSU Softball Field on Saturday, April 23.
The Raiders (31-18; Horizon 15-3) have eight games remaining before the Horizon League Tournament and will play Morehead State, UIC and Valparaiso (9-28; Horizon 4-10) to complete the season. WSU leads UIC (27-14; Horizon 13-4) in the conference standings by one game.
Wright State defeated Oakland 1-0 in game one of the series on Friday as Honnah Sursor drove in the lone run of the game with a single in the second inning. The Raiders won game two 3-0 after scoring two runs on an error by the pitcher in the fifth inning and then another later in the inning on a double by Macey Gunther.
In game three, Haley Zemmer gave the Raiders a taste of their own medicine with a dominant pitching performance giving up just one hit and run during an 8-1 victory for Oakland.
The Golden Grizzlies loaded the bases with one out in the top of the second inning and scored their first run of the series on a sacrifice fly to right field by Zemmer. The Raiders pitching staff had previously thrown three consecutive shut-outs and pitched 27 consecutive innings without giving up a run.
With 2 outs and a 3-1 count in the bottom of the third inning, Honnah Susor tied the game with a solo home run to right field for her second home run of the season.
Oakland regained the lead on a triple by Mikayela Marciniak with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Marciniak scored on the next play to give Oakland a 3-1 lead after an error by WSU.
After the Raiders were retired in order in the bottom of the sixth, the Golden Grizzlies powered a five-run inning in the seventh. Abbey Walewski singled with the bases loaded to score one and then Brittney Miller singled to center to plate two more runs for a 6-1 lead. Two batters later, Carah Pletscher doubled to right center to drive in two more runs for Oakland.
The loss was the Raiders first at home this season as they had previously won all 11 games.
Wright State will be back in action at the WSU Softball field on Tuesday, April 26 as they host Morehead State (21-21) for a double-header beginning at 3 p.m.
