Box Score Akron, Ohio -- Akron rallied from deficits of
5-0 and 7-4 to defeat the Youngstown State baseball team 9-8 on
Wednesday afternoon at Lee Jackson Field.
Eric Marzec homered twice and drove in five runs for the
Penguins, who were without several starters at the outset as they
fulfilled final requirements for classes.
Marzec hit a solo homer to lead off the second, and his
three-run homer capped a four-run third that gave the Penguins
their 5-0 lead. From that point, Akron outscored the Penguins
9-3.
The Zips started their climb back in the bottom of the third
when Kevin Haas followed two leadoff walks with a three-run homer
to left center off starter Bill Turosky.
Both teams scored a run in the fifth, and Joe Iacobucci brought
in Neil Schroth on a sacrifice fly in the sixth to put the Penguins
ahead 7-4. YSU had runners on second and third with nobody out in
the inning, but Armani Johnson hit an infield pop up and Jonathan
Crist struck out around Iacobucci's sacrifice fly.
Nick Solitario doubled in two runs for Akron in the bottom of
the sixth after the Zips loaded the bases with nobody out. Akron
then took its first lead of the contest in the seventh by scoring
two runs with two outs. With runners on first and second, Brandon
White singled in Jake Plata with the tying run. Akron went up 8-7
when John Turk scored on a wild pitch.
Tom Clayton's two-out single brought in the tying run for YSU in
the top of the eighth, but Solitario homered off Marzec to lead off
Akron's half of the eighth for the final tally.
Schroth added three hits for YSU, and Crist scored twice.
Regulars Jacke Healey, Jeremy Banks and Clayton went a combined
3-for-4 after being inserted into the line-up late.
Marzec suffered the loss, allowing Solitario's home run in the
eighth. Alex Loftin earned his fourth win for Akron despite
allowing YSU's run in the eighth. Benjamin Danziger threw a perfect
ninth to record his first save.
Youngstown State opens a three-game series against Wright State
on Friday with a doubleheader at 3 p.m.
