The Youngstown State baseball team scored the final eight runs of the game, but its comeback bid came up short in a 15-12 loss to Wright State in the Horizon League series opener on Friday afternoon at Nischwitz Stadium in Dayton, Ohio.
The Penguins scored four runs in the top of the second inning to take a 4-1 lead before the Raiders scored multiple runs in four straight frames to build a 15-4 advantage. YSU struck for four runs in the seventh, two in the eighth and two in the ninth to pull within 15-12, but Wright State was able to hang on for the series-opening win.
Youngstown State falls to 4-24 overall and 2-8 in Horizon League play while Wright State improves to 16-13 overall and 6-4 in league action.
Alejandro Covas went 3-for-4 with his first-career home run and three RBIs while Brett Stanley went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and a two-run double. Trey Law went 3-for-6 with two doubles and three RBIs while Chase Franken hit his first-career home run and scored a pair of runs. Ian Francis recorded a double and a triple while Matt Thompson had two singles and scored twice. Eli Brown added an RBI single, a walk and a run scored as YSU was outhit 16-14 in the high-scoring affair.
YSU starter Jacob Gehring suffered the loss after allowing 10 runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts over 4.1 innings. Gavin Wilms was responsible for three runs on four hits in one inning of relief while Cam Marshalwitz permitted a pair of runs in 1.2 innings of work. Mitchell Seymour retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Raiders jumped in front with a single run in the home half of the first inning. Julian Greenwell reached with a leadoff single, advanced to third on a single by Sammy Sass and scored on an RBI groundout from Ben Vore.
The Penguins answered immediately with four runs on four hits in the top of the second inning to take a 4-1 advantage. Thompson reached on an infield single and came around to score on an RBI single by Brown. Aiden Dunlap drew a one-out walk and scored on an RBI single by Law before Covas plated Brown and Law with a two-out, two-run single up the middle.
Wright State regained the lead with five runs on four hits in the bottom of the third inning. Carson Clark hit a leadoff single and scored on an RBI double by Sass. Greenwell reached on an error, and he and Sass scored on a two-run single to left field by Vore. Boston Smith followed with a two-run home to right center to give the Raiders a 6-4 edge.
The Raiders pushed their lead to 8-4 with a pair of two-out runs in the home half of the fourth inning. Clark drew a one-out walk, advanced to second on a single from Greenwell and scored on a two-out RBI single from Jay Luikart. Vore followed with an RBI single of his own to plate Greenwell and give Wright State a four-run lead.
Wright State added two runs in the bottom of the fifth to increase its lead to 10-4. Patrick Fultz drew a one-out walk and scored on an RBI double by Clark. After Gehring handed the ball to Wilms, Sass brought home Clark with an RBI single to left center. The Raiders went on to plate five runs on five hits in the bottom of sixth to extend their lead to 15-4.
Youngstown State got back on the board with four runs on five hits including three home runs in the top of the seventh inning. Franken led off the inning with his first-career home run to right field. Law then doubled down the right field line, and Stanley followed with a two-run blast to left field. Covas hit his first-career home run to left center in the next at bat to cut Wright State's lead to 15-8.
The Penguins drew within 15-10 with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth inning. Brown drew a one-out walk and Franken was hit by a pitch to set up a two-out, two-run double by Stanley. Law delivered a two-out, two-run double of his own with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth to bring the Penguins within three runs. However, Wright State reliever Cam Allen got Stanley got fly out to center field to end the game.
Wright State starter Jake Shirk was awarded the victory after allowing four runs on six hits over six innings on the mound.
The Penguins and Raiders will continue their three-game Horizon League series on Saturday. First pitch at Nischwitz Stadium is scheduled for 2 p.m.
