Box Score Niles, Ohio --
Youngstown State scored the final eight runs and scored five times
in the eighth to rally past Toledo, 12-7, on Tuesday evening at
Eastwood Field.
Eric Hymel's one-out single broke a 7-7
tie in the eighth, and Jacke Healey, Jeremy Banks and Jonathan
Crist tacked on two-out run-scoring hits.
Freshman Jim Kinnick threw two innings of
scoreless relief to pick up his second win, and starter Trent Wood
allowed one earned run in five innings.
The Penguins spotted the Rockets a 7-4
advantage with six unearned runs on five errors before their
three-run sixth and five-run eighth.
YSU went 6-for-12 with runners in scoring
position in the game, which was its best average in the last nine
games.
Koehnlein led off the first with a triple
to right, his third in the last four games, and scored on Banks'
one-out single. Casey Holland then hit a smash off Gatins' glove
that ended up turning into an inning-ending double play.
Toledo's offense responded by scoring
four runs in the top of the second, though all four were unearned
because of three Penguins errors. Chris Dudics had a two-out RBI
single, and Aaron Dudley hit a two-run single three batters later.
The other run scored on a double play ball with the bases
loaded.
Toledo returned the favor in the bottom
half when YSU scored two runs on two errors that came on the same
play. Joe Iacobucci had the inning's only hit to start the inning,
and three straight fielders' choices put runners on first and
second with two outs. Koehnlein then hit a grounder to first that
Mark Lapikas booted to allow Hymel to score from second, and David
Leon scored all the way from first when second baseman Joe
Corfman's throw home was wild.
Lapikas hit his first career homer in the
top of the fifth to put Toledo up 5-3, but Koehnlein countered with
a solo blast in the bottom half to make the score 5-4. It was
Koehnlein's first homer of the season and his first over-the-wall
home run since his freshman season.
Toledo went up 7-4 in the sixth with two
more unearned runs, but YSU scored three times in the bottom half
to tie the score at 7-7. Holland reached on a throwing error to
start the inning, and Iacobucci's double put runners on second and
third with no outs. Following a balk that allowed Holland to score,
C.J. Morris' single brought in Iacobucci for the second run.
Morris then stole second and scored on Leon's single to
left.
In the eighth, Iacobucci started the
inning with his third hit, and Morris advanced pinch runner Tom
Clayton on a sacrifice bunt. Hymel singled between first and second
to plate Clayton with the go-ahead run on a 1-1 pitch.
A fielder's choice and throwing error put
Hymel on third with two outs, and Koehnlein was intentionally
walked, Healey hit an RBI single to right. After Healey stole
second, Banks hit a two-run single, and Crist hit an RBI double off
of the wall in left center.
Ryan France was charged with the loss,
allowing the first run in the eighth. Jeff Cinadr came on to allow
four runs on four hits and a walk in an inning.
YSU will play its final regular season
game of the season on Wednesday when it hosts Buffalo at 3 p.m. at
Eastwood Field.