The Youngstown State baseball team dropped a 13-4 decision to Akron on Tuesday in its final non-conference game of the regular season at Canal Park in Akron, Ohio.
The Penguins held a 2-1 lead after two frames before the Zips scored seven runs in the third, two in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth to build a 13-2 advantage. YSU plated a pair of runs in the top of the eighth to produce the final margin.
Youngstown State falls to 17-34 overall on the season while Akron improves to 19-33. The Zips avenged an 8-5 loss to the Penguins at Eastwood Field on April 25.
RJ Sherwood went 2-for-4 with a double while Turner Grau hit his sixth triple of the season and scored a run. Andre Good doubled and scored a run while Matt Thompson singled and drove in two runs.
YSU starter Kenny Misik suffered the loss after allowing three runs on four walks over two innings of work. Brandin Anderson was responsible for nine runs on five hits and four walks over three innings of relief. Will Shaffer was charged with one run in two innings before Chase Franken came on to toss a scoreless eighth inning.
The Zips jumped in front with a single run in the bottom of the first inning. Ian Pennington was hit by a pitch and raced home from third on a double steal attempt to put Akron ahead 1-0.
The Penguins answered with two runs on three hits in the top of the second inning to take a 2-1 lead. Grau hit a leadoff triple and scored on an RBI groundout by Thompson. Good and Sherwood hit back-to-back doubles, and Good scored on a sacrifice fly from Ian Francis.
Akron responded with seven runs on three hits and five walks in the bottom of the third inning to take an 8-2 advantage. Jack Poist drew a bases-load walk before Nick Arrivo sent a three-run triple to left field. Later in the frame, Andy Horvath recorded a two-run double and Caleb Jenkins added an RBI single.
The Zips added a pair of runs on two hits in the bottom of the fourth to increase their lead to 10-2. Poist was hit by a pitch, Arrivo reached with a single and both runners scored on a two-out, two-run single by Horvath.
Akron scored two more runs without a hit in the bottom of the fifth inning to push its lead to 12-2. Droste was hit by a pitch and came around to score on a wild pitch before Poist drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. The Zips scored their final run in the bottom of the sixth when Horvath hit a one-out double and scored on a two-out RBI single by Droste.
YSU scored two runs on one hit in the top of the eighth to account for the final score of 13-4. Vince D'Eusanio drew a leadoff walk and scored on an RBI single by Thompson. Clay Wiesen was hit by a pitch and came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Good.
Akron starter Joe Roth allowed two runs on six hits with four strikeouts over seven innings to earn the victory.
The Penguins will return home to close out the regular season with a three-game Horizon League series against Wright State beginning on Thursday. First pitch at Eastwood Field is set for 5 p.m.
