Fort Wayne, Ind. -- Five different Penguins hit home runs, and the Youngstown State baseball team scored the final four runs to beat Purdue Fort Wayne 10-7 in the series opener on Friday at Mastodon Field.
Ian Francis and Teddy Ruffner both homered in the first inning as YSU took a 4-0 lead, and RJ Sherwood and Brett Stanley hit solo blasts in the fifth. Alejandro Covas then hit a two-run home run in a three-run seventh inning that accounted for the game's final runs.
It was just the seventh time in program history that the Penguins hit at least five home runs in a game, and YSU captured its second straight Horizon League victory. Eight of Youngstown State's 10 runs on Friday came on long balls.
Francis led the Penguins with three hits in four at bats, and he also drove in a team-high three runs. Stanley was 2-for-4 and scored three times, and Sherwood had two hits and scored twice. Five of Youngstown State's 11 hits went over the fence, and they helped offset 12 strikeouts.
YSU's bullpen did not allow a run over the final four innings, which allowed the Penguins to rally after Purdue Fort Wayne took a 7-6 lead.
Five Mastodons had two hits, and Purdue Fort Wayne finished with 14 hits. Only three of them were for extra bases, and they were all doubles.
Francis gave an early preview to the Penguin power surge with a three-run blast to left center with one out in the top of the first inning. Two batters later, Ruffner hit a solo blast to right center to give YSU a 4-0 lead.
Purdue Fort Wayne scored three runs on five hits in the bottom of the first to make it 4-3, and that's what the score remained through four innings. Sherwood and Stanley hit solo home runs in the top of the fifth to up the Penguin lead to 6-3, and the Mastodons answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to take their first lead. PFW's Cade Fitzpatrick tied the game with a two-run single, and Brooks Sailors drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single following an error.
After the single to Sailors, Casey Marshalwitz came in to get the final out, and the Penguin bullpen did not allow a run the rest of the way.
Youngstown State got an unearned run in the sixth as Matt Thompson scored on a double steal with Eli Brown, and the Penguins scored three runs in the seventh to give the bullpen a three-run cushion. The go-ahead run came in when Sherwood singled and eventually crossed the plate on a failed pickoff attempt with runners at the corners. Covas then hit his second career home run with Stanley aboard to up the margin to 10-7.
The Mastodons loaded the bases with one out in the seventh and the top of the order coming to the plate, and Mitchell Seymour relieved Marshalwitz to get the final two outs and preserve the lead. Seymour struck out Jacob Walker, and he induced a 3-1 ground out by Grant Thoroman. YSU's Chris Domke worked around a two-out walk in the eighth, and he retired the Mastodons in order in the ninth to earn his fourth save.
Marshalwitz earned his third victory, allowing three hits in 1.2 scoreless innings. YSU starter Jacob Gehring was charged with all seven runs, six of which were earned, in 4.2 innings. The Penguins scored six earned runs and seven overall in six innings off of Purdue Fort Wayne starter Mac Ayres. The loss went to reliever Owen Willard, who allowed the three runs in the seventh inning.
Youngstown State and Purdue Fort Wayne will continue their three-game series on Saturday at 2 p.m.
