Horizon League Baseball Championship Game Eight: Valparaiso defeats Wright State 13-4

May 23, 2008

Box Score

Championship Central

NILES, Ohio - Valparaiso University (21-34) downed Wright State University (30-23) 13-4 to eliminate the Raiders from the Horizon League Baseball Championship presented by the U.S. Army. Valparaiso advances to the semifinals of the loser's bracket and will take on the loser of the University of Illinois at Chicago-University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee matchup on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.

Valpo starter Bryce Shafer worked 8.0 innings and picked up his third win on the year. The freshman right-hander went 8.0 innings, struck out three and scattered nine hits.

Wright State junior Rylan Ostrosky took the loss to finish the year 3-3. Ostrosky worked three innings and allowed four earned runs.

The Crusaders' one, two and three hitters combined to go 9-for-14 with eight runs batted in. Sophomore Brett Bivens had four hits and drove in three runs, while senior Zach Rodeghero went 2-for-5 with a game-high five RBIs. Rodeghero leads the team with 54 RBIs.

Wright State got on the board in the bottom half of the first inning as it plated three runs on four hits. Junior Jeff Mercer and senior Ross Vagedes each drove in runs in the inning and sophomore R.J. Gundolff scored on a wild pitch in the frame. Mercer's RBI was his 53rd of the season.

Following the Raiders three-run first inning, Shafer would hold the Raiders scoreless for the next four innings.

Ostrosky cruised through the first two innings before allowing a run in the third inning. The WSU starter's day ended in the fourth when he loaded the bases with no outs. Valpo would then tack on seven runs in the frame, three of which were charged to Ostrosky and four were charged to senior reliever Scott Ruthven.

The Crusaders collected five hits during its seven-run inning and left just one runner on base. Valpo freshman Jon Gulbransen, senior Dan DeBruin and Bivens each drove in one run. Rodeghero and senior Jason Brunelli each drove in a pair of runs.

Valpo would then add three runs in the fifth inning, before WSU would score an unearned run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.

The Crusaders then added a pair of runs in the seventh to increase its lead to 13-4.

The 2008 Horizon League Baseball Championship is being held at Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio. Single-day tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for senior citizens and youth, while all-tournament passes are $20 and $14, respectively. Students from all Horizon League institutions are free with a valid student identification card. Gates will open one hour prior to the first game each day.

For additional Horizon League baseball information, including the championship bracket, directions to Eastwood Field, GameTracker live statistics and game recaps, check out the official web site at www.horizonleague.org. For free, live video web casts of all games of the Horizon League Baseball Championship, log onto the Horizon League Network at www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv.