Niles, Ohio -- Sixth-seeded Valparaiso scored once in the eighth and another in the ninth to defeat No. 3 Youngstown State 3-2 in the opening round of the 2008 U.S. Army Horizon League Baseball Championship at Eastwood Field.

Youngstown State will now play an elimination game against No. 4 Cleveland State on Thursday at 11 a.m. The Vikings were upset earlier in the day by No. 5 Milwaukee, 10-7, in 14 innings.

Valparaiso moves on in the winners bracket to play No. 1 UIC Thursday at 7 p.m.

Youngstown State led 2-0 through three innings, but Valpo's pitching staff did not allow a hit in the final four innings to allow the offense to rally.

Josh Wallace got the Crusaders on the board in the sixth with a solo homer to right field to start the inning. That followed back-to-back innings in which Valpo left the bases loaded.

The Crusaders then got two runs on six hits in the final two innings off YSU closer Craig Gillet. With one out in the eighth Jason Brunelli singled to right on an 0-2 pitch, and Andrew Quinnette followed with an RBI double to left.

Then in the ninth, Valpo recovered from a base running mistake to score what was eventually the winning run. No. 9 hitter John Giusti led off with a single, and Brett Bivens reached on a bunt single after a failed sacrifice from Dan DeBruin. Zach Rhodegero then singled to left that would have loaded the bases, but Bivens ran through a stop sign trying to go to third and got caught in a rundown. Wallace then followed with a bloop single to right to score DeBruin with the game-winner.

YSU put two runners on with two outs in the ninth on a walk and an error, but Valpo closer Jarad Miller got Erich Diedrich to fly out to center to earn his ninth save.

Valparaiso outhit YSU 12-5, led by two hits apiece from Bivens, Wallace, Matt Lenski and Giusti.

Valpo freshman starter Jon Gulbransen allowed two runs, only one of which was earned, on five hits and two walks in seven innings. Austen Siwiec did not a llow a run in 2/3 of a inning in a winning effort.

The Penguins used two hits, a hit batsman and a sacrifice fly to push a run across in first and take a 1-0 lead. Sean Lucas hit a one-out single, and Erich Diedrich singled with the hit-and-run on to put two runners on. Gulbransen beaned Joe Iacobucci to load the bases, and Anthony Porter delivered a sacrifice fly to center.

YSU scored an unearned run in the third without recording a hit to go up two. Diedrich was hit by a pitch with one out, and Porter reached on a two-out error. Eric Marzec walked to load the bases, and Diedrich scored when catcher Matt Lenski's pickoff throw to third sailed into left field.

YSU starter and Horizon League Pitcher of the Year Aaron Swenson allowed one run on six hits while striking out three. He walked a season-high four batters and threw 113 pitches before handing the ball off with two outs in the seventh. Swenson went 2-0 and allowed two runs in 18 innings against Valpo during the regular season.

Relievers Ryan Wackerman and Ryan Sellman both retired the only hitters they faced for YSU.

The Penguins stranded 10 runners while the Crusaders left 11 on base.