Niles, Ohio -- Northern Kentucky scored twice in the top of the ninth inning to break a 2-2 tie and held on for a 4-2 victory over the Youngstown State baseball team in the Horizon League series opener on Thursday at Eastwood Field.
SCHEDULE UPDATE: Due to inclement weather expected on Saturday, the Penguins and Norse will now conclude their three-game series on Friday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
The Norse scored a pair of runs in the top of the second inning before the Penguins cut the deficit in half with a single run in the bottom of the fourth. YSU posted another single tally in the home half of the eighth to even the score before NKU plated two runs in the ninth to regain the advantage.
Youngstown State falls to 3-21 overall and 2-5 in Horizon League play while Northern Kentucky improves to 16-9 overall and 7-0 in league action.
Matt Thompson went 2-for-3 with an RBI single while Trey Law was 2-for-4 with a stolen base. Alejandro Covas singled and scored a run while Teddy Ruffner delivered a key double in the eighth inning. The Penguins and Norse were even in the hit column with six hits apiece.
YSU starter Brandon Mikos allowed two runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings on the mound. Braden Gebhardt permitted just two hits while recording a career-high eight strikeouts over a season-high 5.2 scoreless innings of relief. Casey Marshalwitz was saddled with the loss after allowing one run in his one inning out of the bullpen.
Northern Kentucky took an early lead with two runs on three hits in the top of the second inning. Tyler Shaneyfelt hit a leadoff single and John Odom followed with an RBI triple to center field. Cleary Simpson then brought home Odom with a two-out RBI single up the middle.
Youngstown State got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning as Covas reached on an infield single and scored on Thompson's RBI single to left center.
The Penguins evened the score at 2-2 with one run on two hits in the home half of the eighth. Ruffner hit a leadoff double and gave way to pinch runner Chase Franken. Law sent Franken to third with a base hit, and Franken raced home on a wild pitch to tie the game.
In the top of the ninth inning, Marshalwitz issued a leadoff walk and pinch runner Ryan Kilpatrick advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Simpson. After Niall Todd relieved Marshalwitz on the mound, Treyvin Moss reached on an error and stole second to set up a two-run single through the left side from Liam McFadden-Ackman.
NKU starter Tanner Gillis was awarded the victory after allowing two runs on five hits with 10 strikeouts over eight innings. Nick McClanahan worked around a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth to earn the save.
The Penguins and Norse will conclude their three-game Horizon League series on Friday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Live audio for both games will be available at YSNLive.com.
