Butler, Pa. -- The Youngstown State baseball team scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to rally for a 6-5 win over Oakland in the Horizon League opener for both teams on Friday afternoon at Pullman Park.
With the Penguins trailing 5-4 in the home half of the eighth, Kendal Spencer hit a one-out double down the right field line to put the tying run on base. Following an Oakland pitching change, Spencer stole third base before Teddy Ruffner walked and proceeded to swipe second. After Chyran Humphries was intentionally walked to load the bases, Nick Miscavage delivered a go-ahead two-run single to right field that plated Spencer and Ruffner to give YSU a decisive 6-5 lead.
Youngstown State improved to 2-13 overall and 1-0 in Horizon League play while Oakland dropped to 1-15 overall and 0-1 in league action.
YSU starter Braden Gebhardt was responsible for five runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts over six innings in his fifth start of the season. The senior left-hander allowed his first earned run of the 2026 season during his 30th inning of work in the top of the fourth inning. Tyler Heflin did not surrender a hit while fanning three batters over three scoreless innings of relief to earn the win. The sophomore right-hander sat down the first seven batters he faced as he retired the side in order in the seventh and eighth innings.
The Penguins and Golden Grizzlies finished even in the hit column with eight apiece. Spencer finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, two RBIs, two runs scored and three stolen bases. Miscavage went 2-for-4 with a career-high three RBIs and stole a base while Humphries hit his second home run of the season and walked twice.
Youngstown State's eight stolen bases as a team were the program's most since the Penguins tied the single-game school record with nine steals against Toledo on April 10, 2019. Friday's series opener in Butler marked just the fifth time in school history that YSU swiped at least eight bases in a game.
The Penguins jumped in front with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Brayden Kuriger and Brady Shannon hit back-to-back two-out singles, and both players scored on a two-run single from Spencer after Shannon swiped second base. YSU pushed its lead to 3-0 in the second inning when Humphries hit a solo home run over the wall in left field.
The Golden Grizzlies scored the next five runs of the contest with just two swings of the bat. Oakland posted its first run in the top of the fourth when Tony Konopiots led off the inning with a solo homer to left field. The Golden Grizzlies moved ahead with four runs in the top of the fifth. Sam Griffith and Boston Halloran hit back-to-back singles before Aidan Schuck loaded the bases with a one-out base hit. Kyle Revere followed with a grand slam to left field that gave Oakland a 5-3 advantage.
The Penguins cut their deficit in half with a single tally in the bottom of the sixth. Spencer hit a leadoff single, stole second and scored on a two-out RBI single from Miscavage to bring YSU within a run at 5-4.
Oakland starter Jordan Dahlof allowed four runs on six hits over 5.2 innings while Blake Sehlke permitted one run on one hit in 1.2 innings of relief. Andrew Landis suffered the loss after surrendering the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth.
Revere finished 2-for-4 with a game-high four RBIs to pace the Golden Grizzlies offensively.
The Penguins and Golden Grizzlies are scheduled to continue their three-game Horizon League series at Pullman Park on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.
For the latest news and schedule updates throughout the 2026 season, follow @YSUBaseball on X and Instagram.
