The Youngstown State baseball team led 2-0 after five innings before UTSA rallied for a 4-3 walk-off victory in the series opener on Friday evening at Roadrunner Field in San Antonio, Texas.
The Roadrunners took their first lead with a single tally in the bottom of the seventh to break a 2-2 tie. Brayden Kuriger belted a solo home run in the top of the ninth to even the contest again before UTSA scored on a one-out RBI single by James Taussig in the bottom half of the inning.
Kuriger went 2-for-3 with a home run and scored all three of YSU's runs while Teddy Ruffner delivered an RBI single for the Penguins.
YSU starter Jacob Gehring allowed two runs, one of them earned, on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks over 5.1 innings in a no-decision. Sloan Ulrich was responsible for one unearned run on two hits in two innings of relief.
Aidan English surrendered one run and struck out a pair of batters in two thirds of an inning. English was relieved by Braden Gebhardt after issuing a leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth. Back-to-back singles by UTSA loaded the bases to set up the one-out walk-off single from Taussig following a fielder's choice.
Youngstown State went ahead 1-0 with a single run in the top of the second inning. Kuriger hit a leadoff single, stole second and third and raced home on a wild pitch. The Penguins pushed their lead to 2-0 in the top of the fourth when Kuriger drew a leadoff walk and came around to score on a two-out RBI single from Ruffner.
UTSA evened the score with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Ty Hodge drew a one-out walk and Lorenzo Morresi followed with an RBI triple down the right field line to get the Roadrunners on the board. After Gehring handed the ball to Ulrich, Morresi was able to score when Nathan Hodge reached on a throwing error.
UTSA took its first lead at 3-2 with a single run in the home half of the seventh. Mason Lytle hit a leadoff single, advanced to second on a wild pitch, stole third and was awarded home when catcher's interference was called by the home plate umpire.
YSU tied the contest again at 3-3 when Kuriger blasted a solo home run over the wall in left field in the top of the ninth inning.
UTSA starter Zach Royse allowed two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts over five innings of work. Robert Orloski earned his third victory of the season by allowing one run on three hits with eight punch outs over four innings out of the bullpen.
Lytle went 3-for-5 with two runs scored as one of four Roadrunners with multiple hits.
The Penguins and Roadrunners will continue their four-game weekend series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. ET.
