Niles, Ohio -- The Youngstown State baseball team recorded 12 hits to back strong pitching performances in route to a 3-2 victory over Oakland in the Horizon League series opener on Friday afternoon at Eastwood Field.
Game two of the three-game series between YSU and Oakland that was scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday has been canceled, and the two teams will now play a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m.
On a chilly Friday afternoon at Eastwood Field, the Penguins scored single runs in the first and fifth innings to take 2-0 lead before the Golden Grizzlies evened the score with two runs in the bottom half of the fifth. Ian Francis hit a one-out single in the top of the eighth and Matt Thompson followed with an RBI double to right center to give YSU the decisive 3-2 advantage.
Jacob Gehring allowed just two runs on five hits while fanning five batters over seven strong innings to earn his second victory in as many starts. The junior right-hander from Canfield, Ohio, blanked the Golden Grizzlies in six of the seven frames he was on the mound.
Freshman left-hander Niall Todd recorded the first two outs in the bottom of the eighth before handing the ball to freshman right-hander Chris Domke. The North Royalton, Ohio, native struck out Oakland's Brandon Heidal to end the eighth inning before retiring the side in order in the ninth to collect his second save of the season.
Francis went 3-for-4 with an RBI double and a run scored from the cleanup spot for the Penguins while Alejandro Covas and Aiden Dunlap added two hits apiece. Eight different YSU players recorded a hit as the Penguins outhit the Golden Grizzlies 12-5.
Youngstown State jumped in front 1-0 in the top of the first inning as Covas hit a two-out single and Francis followed with an RBI double to left field. The Penguins pushed their lead to 2-0 in the top of the fifth as Dunlap hit a one-out single and scored on a two-out RBI double from Brett Stanley.
Oakland drew even in the home half of the fifth as John Lauinger hit a one-out double and Sam Griffith followed with a two-run home run to left field. The score remained locked at 2-2 until Thompson's RBI double for YSU in the top of the eighth.
Oakland starter Hunter Pidek was responsible for two runs on nine hits with six strikeouts over six innings of work. Brandon Decker suffered the loss after allowing one run on three hits in three innings out of the bullpen.
The Penguins and Golden Grizzlies will conclude their three-game Horizon League series on Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Live audio for both games will be available at YSNLive.com.
For the latest news and schedule updates, follow @YSUBaseball on X and Instagram.
