Box Score Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Youngstown State allowed three runs in the
bottom of the fifth and did not register a hit in the final four
innings in dropping the series finale at Alabama 6-2 on Sunday
afternoon.
The Penguins made the score 3-2 in the top half of the fifth on
David Leon's two-out double, but UA's pitching combination of Miers
Quigley, Jimmy Nelson and Nathan Kilcrease allowed only two walks
the rest of the way.
Sean Lucas had two hits for YSU, which dropped to 0-6 after
three-game sets against Georgia Tech and Alabama. Starter Aaron
Swenson allowed all six runs, five of which were earned, on six
hits in 4.1 innings. He struck out four and did not walk a batter
for the second straight outing.
"We struggled at the plate today and just couldn't get anyone on
base," head coach Rich Pasquale said. "Swenson was ahead on what
seemed like every hitter. He just started to get a little tired
there in the fifth."
"We got to see some more pitchers and learn how they are going
to be. It was important to get those guys in."
"Coach (Jim) Wells, who has won more than 750 games in his
career, told me after the game that we played hard, were aggressive
and that we played the right way. That was encouraging."
Alabama got two runs across in the first on two hits and two
errors and upped its advantage to three on a squeeze in the
second.
YSU got on the board in the third when Lucas brought in Mike
Turjanica on a two-out single. Leon then brought the Penguins
within one in the fifth when he doubled in Dustin Wachter.
Brandon May hit a two-run single and later scored on a wild
pitch in the fifth for Alabama's final tally.
Freshman Phil Klein threw a scoreless sixth, and freshman Matt
Tucker retired all six hitters he faced in the seventh and eighth
innings.
The winter storm over the weekend will affect YSU's schedule
this upcoming week's schedule. The Penguins will now play at
Cincinnati on Tuesday at 4 p.m. instead of at Dayton. YSU is also
scheduled to play a three-game series at Xavier starting Thursday.
Updates will be announced on YSUsports.com.