Box Score Niles, Ohio -- The Youngstown State baseball
team stranded 13 runners and let a 3-1 lead slip away in a 5-3 loss
to Wright State on Sunday at Eastwood Field.
Seven of those 13 runners were left on base in the first three
innings, and the Penguins were 3-for-14 with runners in scoring
position.
Phil Lipari, Marcus Heath and David Saluga had two hits apiece
for YSU, and David Leon scored twice while being beaned four times.
Wright State's pitchers hit seven YSU batters.
Corey Davis went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for Wright State, whose
five through eight hitters combined for nine of its 11 hits.
The Penguins loaded the bases with nobody out in the first when
Cody Kopilchack hit Leon and Drew Dosch and gave up a single to
Lipari. The Raiders starter was able to minimize the damage by
striking out Jeremy Banks, and Marcus Heath's sacrifice fly
accounted for the only run.
Justin Kopale drove in Michael Timm to even the score in the top
of the second, but Saluga came in to score on a wild pitch in the
bottom of the second to put YSU ahead 2-1. Banks then singled to
right with the infield in to plate Leon in the fourth and give the
Penguins a 3-1 lead. YSU had a chance to pull ahead more with
runners at the corners, but Joey Hoelzel was able to get Heath to
ground into an inning-ending double play.
Wright State tied the score with back-to-back sacrifice flies in
the sixth, and they pulled ahead in the seventh on an RBI double
from Davis. Davis hit another RBI double in the ninth to give the
Raiders an insurance run and a 5-3 lead.
YSU starter Pat Shedlock allowed one run through five innings,
but he allowed a single and a double in the sixth before exiting.
Both of those runs scored off Kevin McCulloh, and the junior
right-hander allowed the go-ahead run in the seventh to be tagged
with the loss.
Kopilchack lasted just 1 2-3 innings after hitting four batters,
but Hoelzel allowed just one run on five hits in 4 2-3 innings to
earn the victory. Jordan Marker threw the final 1 2-3 innings to
pick up his second save.
The Penguins will play their final home game of 2012 on Tuesday
against Pittsburgh. First pitch against the Panthers is set for 11
a.m.
