DAYTON – The University of Dayton baseball team won the first home game of 2021 10-1 over Oakland on Friday Afternoon at Woerner Field.
 
The Flyers improve to 2-5 on the young season after controlling the game from beginning to end. Senior Hunter Wolfe tossed six scoreless innings, compiling eight strikeouts on the afternoon on the mound. Junior Marcos Pujols drove in three runs for Dayton and graduate student Eddie Pursinger hit his first home run of the season in the victory.
 
On the Mound
Oakland did not have an answer for Hunter Wolfe on Friday who kept the Grizzlies off the scoreboard during his six innings, allowing just six hits and three walks while picking up his first win of the season, improving to 1-2 in 2021.
 
Graduate student Tyler Jones relieved Wolfe in the seventh inning, lasting two-thirds of an inning while allowing Oakland's lone run of the evening. Junior Bryce Hellgeth finished the game for UD, allowing just one hit in 2.1 innings on the mound while picking up four strikeouts himself.
 
Scoring Plays
Bottom 1: (1-0 Flyers)
Mariano Ricciardi hit a leadoff single through the left side and stole second. Senior Riley Tirotta drew a walk and Pujols drove Ricciardi home with a line drive into right-center field, giving Dayton an early 1-0 lead.
 
Bottom 2: (2-0 Flyers)
The Flyers pulled off a two-out rally starting with Ricciardi who again singled. Tirotta followed that with an RBI triple off the right field wall to extend the lead for UD.
 
Bottom 4: (5-0 Flyers)
Senior Mitchell Garrity and Ricciardi walked to lead off the fourth inning before Tirotta loaded the bases, getting hit by a pitch. Pujols drove in two more runs with another single into right-center field making it 4-0 Flyers. Pujols then stole second, drawing a throw from the catcher which allowed Tirotta to come home to make it 5-0.
 
Top 7: (5-1 Flyers)
Jones entered the game in the seventh inning, getting the first out before allowing back-to-back singles, putting runners on the corners. The graduate student got a ground ball, but the Flyers were only able to get one out on the play and the run scored from third putting Oakland on the board.
 
Bottom 7: (8-1 Flyers)
Garrity led off the inning with a single before Ricciardi advanced him on a sacrifice bunt. After Tirotta flied out, Oakland elected to intentionally walk Pujols. Senior Michael Cleary also walked and graduate student Alex Brickman drove home two with a double to make it 7-1. Junior Benjamin Blackwell walked to load the bases again and Senior Jared Howell singled to center field, scoring Cleary from third extending Dayton's lead to seven runs.
 
Bottom 8 (10-1 Flyers)
Senior Nolan Watson reached on an error to lead off the eighth inning and Pursinger followed that with his first home run of the season and the first home run at Woerner Field in 2021 to finish off the scoring and give the game its 10-1 final score.
 
Up Next:
The Flyers will return to Woerner Field tomorrow for a doubleheader against Oakland. The first pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. with graduate student Ben Olson projected to get the ball for the Flyers in game one.