March 26, 2008 | Box Score

Ten Stranded Runners Hurt Penguins in 4-3 Loss to Akron

    Akron, Ohio -- Youngstown State couldn't come up with enough clutch hits and was hurt by issued walks in a 4-3 loss to Akron on Wednesday afternoon at Lee Jackson Field.
    The Penguins stranded 10 and went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, which offset a 10-6 advantage in the hits column for YSU.
    Anthony Munoz doubled twice and singled for the Penguins (5-12), who came in winning two straight. Phil Bednar went 2-for-3 with the eventual game-winning two-run single for the Zips (11-8).
    YSU led 2-0 after plating a run in the second third innings and a strong start from freshman Phil Klein.
    Cory Hornyak started things in the second with a two-out single, and David Leon drew a walk to put two runners on. Munoz then ripped an RBI double down the left field line to score Hornyak.
    Joe Iacobucci then doubled with one out in the third, moved to third on Anthony Porter's single and scored on Tom Clayton's sacrifice fly.
    After retiring the first six hitters, Klein ran into trouble in the third by walking the first two hitters - both of whom came around to score. Kevin Hass singled home Brian Kordal with one out, and John Turk scored on Drew Turocy's sacrifice fly.
    Kordal singled with two outs in the fourth to ignite another two-run inning. Turk followed with a double to left, and Bednar stepped up with a two-run single past a diving David Leon at short.
    The Penguins had two runners on and one out in the fourth and fifth innings but couldn't get a run across. A 6-4-3 double play ended the fourth, and an infield pop out with runners on second and third halted the fifth.
    Munoz cut the lead to one in the sixth when he hit a one-out double, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a C.J. Morris groundout.
    The Penguins created some drama in the ninth when Sean Lucas reached on an error to start the inning. Josh Page sacrificed him to second, but Haas made a great play moving to his left at short to steal a hit from Iacobucci and record the second out.
    Klein was tagged with the loss, allowing all four runs on four hits and four walks in 3.2 innings. Corey Vukovic threw 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, and Cody Dearth came on to throw a scoreless eighth.
    Jared Patterson got the win for the Zips, holding YSU scoreless despite allowing four hits in his two innings.
    YSU will play a three-game series at Western Kentucky starting with Saturday's doubleheader at 2 p.m. EDT