YSU drops opener at WSU

Raiders’ Bellomy bears down to handcuff Penguins

Staff report

Dayton

Wright State pitcher Bear Bellomy held Youngstown State to a run on three hits over seven innings as the Raiders beat the Penguins 7-1 on Friday at Nischwitz Stadium.

The game was the opener of a three-game Horizon League series.

Bellomy struck out nine and walked only one. The senior right-hander retired the first six batters he faced and sat down the Penguins in order in five different innings. He retired 11 straight hitters at one point as YSU went without a hit between the fifth and eighth innings.

JD Orr, Peyton Burdick and Zach Weatherford each had two hits to pace the Raiders. Orr tripled and drove in a pair of runs while Damon Dues walked twice, stole a base and score three runs.

Dues began the bottom of the first inning with a leadoff walk, moved to second on a groundout and advanced to third on a bloop single by Burdick. During the next at bat, YSU starter Colin Clark caught Burdick leaning at first base and he was thrown out at second. But Dues alertly raced home to score.

Wright State (17-7, 5-2) then scored six runs over the third, fourth and fifth innings to pull away. YSU is now to 3-22 and 1-6.

YSU’s bullpen did a nice job keeping the deficit at six runs as three Penguins relievers blanked the Raiders over their final three innings. Dalton Earich, Chad Coles and Grant Kersh each worked a scoreless inning of relief.

Cameron Murray recorded a season-high two hits and drove in the Penguins’ only run in the second inning. Drew Dickerson and Lucas Nasonti each singled while Blaze Glenn hit his fifth double and stole his 10th base of the season. Dickerson scored a run and notched his seventh stolen base of the campaign.

The Penguins and Raiders will continue their series at 10 a.m. today. The start time was moved up from 2 p.m. because inclement weather in the afternoon forecast.

Due to the scheduling change, there will be no live broadcast of today’s game on ESPN+.