Dayton, Ohio -- The fourth-seeded Youngstown State baseball team kept its season alive with a 13-8 comeback victory over Purdue Fort Wayne in an elimination game in the 2025 Horizon League Baseball Championship on Wednesday night at Nischwitz Stadium.
After dropping an 13-2 decision to fifth-seeded Oakland in the opening round earlier in the day, the Penguins rallied back from a four-run deficit to eliminate the Mastodons and advance to play in another elimination contest on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Youngstown State will now await the lowest seeded losing team from the first two games to be played on Thursday. Top-seeded Wright State will face fifth-seeded Oakland at 11 a.m. before second-seeded Northern Kentucky plays third-seeded Milwaukee at 3 p.m. on Thursday.
Each team posted a two-run first inning before Purdue Fort Wayne pushed across four runs in the top of the second to regain a 6-2 advantage. Youngstown State erupted for five runs on three hits in the bottom of the second to move in front before adding single runs in the third and fourth frames to lead 9-6. The Mastodons hit a solo homer in the top of the seventh before the Penguins tacked on four insurance runs in the eighth. Purdue Fort Wayne pushed across one run in the top of the ninth for the final margin.
Braden Gebhardt was masterful out of the bullpen, allowing just one run and scattering four hits while matching his career high with eight strikeouts over a career-high seven innings on the mound. The junior left-hander blanked the 'Dons in four straight frames from the third to the sixth to help facilitate YSU's comeback.
YSU starter Sloan Ulrich surrendered six runs on four hits in his lone inning on the mound while Mitchell Seymour allowed one run and recorded one out in the ninth. JJ Tylicki came on to induce a game-ending 6-3 double play and secure YSU's first tournament win of 2025.
Cole Smith matched his season and career high with three hits as he went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and two RBIs. Nathan Beckley finished 2-for-4 with a double, a two-run homer and four RBIs while Garrett Cutting notched two hits including a home run. Tommy Rover recorded a triple, a two-run single and two runs scored while Brayden Kuriger delivered a two-run double, walked twice and scored two runs.
The Mastodons went ahead 2-0 with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Brooks Sailors drew a leadoff walk and Justin Osterhouse followed with an RBI double down the left field line. Osterhouse scored from third later in the inning when Kevin Hall reached on a fielder's choice.
The Penguins tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the first inning. Kyle Fossum reached on an error, Kuriger walked and both baserunners sprinted home on a two-out, two-run double to left field by Beckley.
Purdue Fort Wayne regained a 6-2 lead with four runs on four hits in the top of the second inning. Augusto Schroeder drew a leadoff walk and raced home on a throwing error following a bunt single by Ben Kasparie. Sailors brought in Kasparie with an RBI single while Jackson Micheels delivered a two-run single after Gebhardt replaced Ulrich on the mound.
YSU put up five runs on the scoreboard in the home half of the second inning to take a 7-6 lead. Cutting hit a one-out solo home run before three straight walks loaded the bases and prompted a pitching change for Purdue Fort Wayne. Rover greeted PFW reliever Trent Murphy with a two-run single up the middle and Smith followed with an RBI single to even the score. Rover scored from third on a wild pitch to give the Guins a one-run edge.
The Penguins tacked on a single run in the bottom of the third as Cutting singled and came around to score on a wild pitch. YSU posted another single tally in the fourth as Rover tripled and scored on Smith's RBI single to right field before a brief weather delay.
The Mastodons got back on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh as Hall hit a leadoff solo home run over the wall in left field to trim YSU's lead to 9-7.
Youngstown State added four insurance runs in the bottom half of the eight to build a 13-7 lead. Fossum singled, Smith walked and both runners scored on a two-run double by Kuriger. Beckley followed with a towering two-run home run to right field.
PFW starter Gavin Walters allowed six runs, four of them earned, on two hits and four walks over 1.1 innings. Murphy was the losing pitcher after permitting two runs in 1.2Â innings as the first of three relievers to appear for the Mastodons.
The Penguins will now face the lowest-seeded losing team from the first two games to be played on Thursday at Nischwitz Stadium. First pitch for YSU's elimination game is scheduled for approximately 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and YSNLive.com.
