“He’d been sick and couldn’t play,” Sogard said. “He was not feeling good at all. But I came to him in the eighth inning and said, ‘Can you pinch-hit?’ He said, ‘Yeah, I can hit.’”
“He got a big pinch-hit double in the eighth, and then he came through in the bottom of the ninth. It’s a pretty wild story.”
Peltier mashed a three-run homer to give the Raiders a dramatic 10-8 win over Xavier at Prasco Park in Mason.
The Musketeers wiped out a two-run deficit with four runs in the top of the ninth. But Pat Fultz got the Wright State rally started with a leadoff double. Xavier then gave up a walk and allowed another runner to reach on an error, setting the stage for Peltier.
The Raiders (18-13) beat Cincinnati 10-3 in the first game of the Nuxhall Classic on Tuesday. It’s their fifth two-game sweep in the event, which started in 2009 and also features Miami (17-15), UC (19-13) and Xavier (19-15) each year.
Nate Manley had a homer and three RBIs against the Bearcats. Braylen Blomquist had five hits and six RBIs in the tourney.
“We were just talking as a staff about how it was the most loaded the Nuxhall has been in the last decade,” said Sogard, who is in his seventh year. “Miami is playing really well. Xavier is a really good team. They’re about 14th in the RPI in the country. And Cincinnati is doing a good job. That was a big win (Tuesday),”
Peltier played just 14 games last season and batted .176 with no homers, but he’s blossomed into one of the Horizon League’s most dangerous hitters. He’s among the conference leaders in average (.336), home runs (11) and RBIs (35).
“He’s so athletic and has really figured out his swing,” Sogard said. “It’s been really cool to see what he can do offensively. I tell him he’s our super-utility guy. He played shortstop in high school, but he’s played different positions for us. He’s settled into left field and has done a really good job.”
The Raiders have won 14 of their last 18 games. They’re first in the Horizon League at 10-2 and already have a healthy lead on second-place Northern Kentucky (7-4).
“I really don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface as far as what we’re capable of doing,” Sogard said. “We’ve been playing a lot better defense lately. And some of our young guys on the mound are starting to settle down. In my opinion, our best baseball is ahead of us.”
Ahead for the Raiders is a three-game series at home with Purdue Fort Wayne (6-24, 5-16), starting at 3 p.m. Friday, and then a showdown at 3 p.m. Tuesday with Ohio State on the road.
The Buckeyes hold the all-time edge in the series against Ohio State, 25-19-1, with the teams splitting two games last year by identical 14-13 scores.
“We have a lot of pride in having success against Ohio baseball teams,” Sogard said, “and, obviously, Ohio State is the biggest name. Our guys will be excited for that opportunity.”
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