Evansville, Ind. – Youngstown State senior pitcher Braden Gebhardt pitched six scoreless innings on Friday evening at the USI Baseball Field, but the Penguins dropped a 5-2 decision to Southern Indiana in the series opener.
Gebhardt allowed just three hits and two walks on 85 pitches in his fourth stellar effort to start the season. He struck out four and through 26 innings to start the season, he has a 0.00 ERA.
Gebhardt worked out of a jam in the fourth after a walk and hit by pitch by getting a fielder's choice. He worked out of another jam in the fifth after a pair of Screaming Eagles hits. On his final pitch of the night, he induced a 4-6-3 double play in the bottom of the sixth.
USI starter Abdriel Figueora was just as tough on the mound also going six scoreless innings. Figueroa allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out five. Both exited the game with the contest tied 0-0 in the seventh and did not factor in the decision.
YSU threatened in the top of seventh inning to score the game's first run. Luke Rossi hit a lead off double and with two outs reached third. However, he was stranded.
In the bottom of the seventh, YSU reliever Luke Zmolik entered the game and after a walk, hit-by-pitch and 2-0 count was replaced by Sloan Ulrich. The Screaming Eagles executed a sacrifice bunt and with runners on second and third and one out, a Zion Stephens base hit broke the scoreless tie to make it a 2-0 USI lead. Stephens eventually came home to score on a double-steal attempt.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Screaming Eagles tacked on two insurance runs that would prove important.
Alex Jang, who reached base four times for the Penguins, led off the ninth with a two-bagger. He came home to score on a Nathan Beckley base hit. After moving to second on a wild pitch, Beckley came in on a Rossi single up the middle.
Rossi moved up to second on a wild pitch. The Penguins brought the tying run to the plate following a four-pitch walk to Caleb Hadley with one out. But a strikeout and ground out ended the game.
Jang led the offense with a double, single, walk and reached via a hit by pitch. Rossi added a double and single as well.
Zmolik took the loss while Adrian Gonzalez earned the win on the mound for USI. The Screaming Eagles outhit the Guins, 7-6.
YSU falls to 1-11 on the season while Southern Indiana improves to 10-4.
The series is set to resume tomorrow at 5 p.m. Eastern time/4 p.m. Central time.
