Rochester, Mich. — The Youngstown State baseball team was swept in a Horizon League doubleheader at Oakland on Thursday, falling 5-3 in the opener and 9-4 in game two.
Oakland scored the final five runs in game one after the Penguins had taken a 3-0 lead in the first inning, and the Golden Grizzlies scored the first seven runs in game two.
Freshman infielder Matt Thompson had a pair of hits and blasted his second home run of the season in game two, and Turner Grau and Jack Johnson both had two hits in the opener. Nick Perez highlighted the pitching performances by the Penguins by striking out a career-high nine batters in relief in game two.
Youngstown State will try to win the series finale against the Golden Grizzlies when the teams play on Friday at 2 p.m.
Game One Recap
The Penguins had a promising start to the series at the Oakland Baseball Field by scoring three runs with one out in the first inning, but they were unable to score over the final 26 outs as the Golden Grizzlies rallied for a 5-3 victory.
Trey Law led off the game with a double to left center, and he scored two batters later on Padraig O'Shaughnessy's opposite-field double. Steven D'Eusanio then ripped a two-run blast to left for his third home run of the season to give Youngstown State a 3-0 lead.
Oakland cut into the deficit with two runs in the bottom of the second inning to make the score 3-2. After YSU starter Braden Gebhardt retired the first batter of the inning, he walked the next two Golden Grizzlies, who both came around to score. Ian Cleary's RBI double brought in Kevin Krill, and Luke Malmanger followed with an infield single to bring in Brandon Heidal.
Gebhardt settled in and gave the Penguins a chance to add to their lead, but they couldn't capitalize on scoring chances in the middle innings. Grau led off the fourth with a double but was picked off, and singles by Johnson and Clay Wiesen put runners at the corners with one out in the fifth in another opportunity. Then in the sixth, singles by Grau and RJ Sherwood and a Johnson walk loaded the bases, but YSU was turned away again.
Oakland made the Penguins pay in the seventh when it scored three runs to go up 5-3. Cleary reached on an error to start the inning, and he scored the tying run after a double and a sacrifice fly. That was the final batter that Gebhardt faced, and Patrick Gumto hit his first batter and walked his second to load the bases. Pinch-runner Peter Jelenic scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch, and Oakland's second sacrifice fly of the frame gave it a 5-3 cushion.
Youngstown State was retired in order in the eighth, and a Wiesen was stranded in the ninth after a two-out walk.
Gebhardt pitched the longest outing of his career, allowing three earned runs on five hits in 6.1 innings. He was charged with the loss, and Oakland's final run went on Gumto's record. Oakland reliever Christian Stelling was awarded the victory as he blanked the Penguins over 2.2 innings.
Game Two Recap
The Penguins had to play from behind from the start of game two as Oakland scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning on its way to a 9-4 victory.
The first three Golden Grizzlies of the game walked, and Jared Miller followed by serving a two-run single to right. Malmanger followed with an RBI on bunt single to make it 3-0, and the final four runs of the inning came after there were two outs. Gabe Lux doubled in a pair of runs to remove starter Cam Marshalwitz from the game, and Perez walked his first two batters before surrendering a two-run single to Lucas Loos that upped the score to 7-0.
Perez settled in after those first three batters, and the Penguins' offense was able to get within three runs.
D'Eusanio, Grau and Thompson led off the top of the second with three consecutive singles to make the score 7-1, and Grau scored on an RBI groundout by Johnson to get the Penguins within five.
Thompson hit a two-out, solo homer in the top of the fourth, and the Penguins inched closer with a run in the fifth. Carter Kocik led off the fifth with a double in his first collegiate at bat, and he scored on a two-out triple by Braeden O'Shaughnessy.
Perez pitched five consecutive shutout innings from the second through sixth frames, and one swing in the seventh was the only blemish on his record after the first. Perez allowed a leadoff walk in the inning, and Ryan Dykstra hit a two-out, two-run homer to right center for the final runs of the game.
Marshalwitz was charged with six runs in 0.2 innings in the starting role. Perez struck out a career-best nine batters in his six innings, and Casey Marshalwitz came on to record the final four outs.
Oakland starter Sean Fekete earned the victory despite allowing four runs on seven hits in five innings. Brandon Decker pitched the final four innings and kept the Penguins scoreless while striking out three batters.
Youngstown State's pitchers struck out 11 Golden Grizzlies in game two, and YSU had just one fewer hit than Oakland (8-7).
