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It was the longest postseason game in Raiders history. The Cardinal (45-10) advance to Saturday’s winner’s bracker to face Cal State Fullerton, a 6-2 winner over Baylor earlier Friday. Wright State will face the Bears in an elimination game at 6 p.m. EDT.
Wright State tied the score in the seventh. With one out, Bentley Jones walked and Zach Weatherford followed with a single. That chased Stanford starter Tristan Beck. With the game on the line, Cardinal coach David Esquer called on closer Jack Little.
He got leadoff hitter Matt Morrow on a fly out but then J.D. Orr singled in a run. Then, in a surprising three-pitch sequence, Little sent two pitches past catcher Christian Molfetta. One was scored a passed ball, the other a wild pitch and the Raiders had tied the score.
Morrow led off the game with his first home run of the season. The 5-foot-10, 180 pound junior muscled up on Beck on the second pitch of the game to give the Raiders a short-lived 1-0 lead.
The Cardinal answered with two in the bottom of the first. Beau Branton led off with a single and after a wild pitch and a strikeout, Nico Hoerner singled him in. Wright State left fielder Orr tried vainly to come in and catch the sinking liner but instead the ball shot by him for a two-base error. Another wild pitch by Weiss brough Hoerner home.
Stanford added a run in the fifth when Alex Wilson doubled to lead off the inning and Tim Tawa singled him in.
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