Rochester, Mich. – The Youngstown State baseball team scored a total of 29 runs while earning the Horizon League series win with a doubleheader sweep of Oakland on Friday at the Oakland Baseball Field.
The Penguins recorded their two highest scoring outputs of the 2026 season with 13 runs and 15 hits in the opener followed by seasons highs of 16 runs and 17 hits in game two. YSU held on for a 13-12 win in game one before pulling away for a 16-2 victory in seven innings in the nightcap.
Youngstown State improved to 5-9 in Horizon League play while Oakland dropped to 5-9 in league action.
SCHEDULE UPDATE: The series finale between YSU and Oakland has been moved up to Saturday at 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Game 1 Recap
Youngstown State erupted offensively with 13 runs and 15 hits en route to a 13-12 victory over Oakland in a high-scoring Horizon League series opener on Friday afternoon at the Oakland Baseball Field.
The Penguins held leads of 4-0 and 5-2 before the Golden Grizzlies evened the score at five runs apiece after two innings. YSU scored eight times over the next three frames to build a 13-6 advantage before Oakland used a five-run sixth inning to pull within 13-11.
Oakland shaved YSU's lead to 13-12 with a single tally in the bottom of the eighth inning. A one-out walk, an error and a single loaded the bases before YSU reliever Tyler Heflin handed the ball to freshman left-hander Bryce Palms out of the bullpen. Pinch runner Sam Grifffith scored from third on a balk before Palms struck out two straight batters to preserve a one-run lead headed to the ninth inning. After walking the leadoff batter in the bottom of the ninth, Palms proceeded to induce a 4-6-3 double play and a flyout to end the game and earn his first career save.
Heflin was awarded the win after allowing six runs on seven hits with five strikeouts over 3.2 innings of relief. YSU starter Jack Messmore also surrendered six runs on seven hits over 3.2 innings on the mound.
Nathan Beckley and Luke Rossi each had three hits and scored three times apiece to pace five Penguins with multiple hits in the contest. Misael Uriepero went 2-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored while Teddy Ruffner and Brady Shannon each added two hits and two RBIs.
Youngstown State grabbed an early advantage with four runs on three hits in the top of the first inning. Garrett Cutting and Ryan Schummer drew back-to-back walks before a single by Rossi loaded the bases. Beckley drove in Cutting with an RBI infield single before Alex Jang was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Shannon brought home Rossi with a sacrifice fly before Ruffner's two-out RBI single scored Beckley from second to give the Guins a 4-0 lead.
Oakland cut YSU's lead in half with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Aidan Orr reached with a two-out single and Aidan Shuck followed with a two-run home run to center field.
The Penguins pushed their lead to 5-2 with a single run in the top of the second. Schummer hit a one-out double and scored on a two-out RBI single by Beckley.
The Golden Grizzlies evened the score at 5-5 on a two-out, three-run double from Kyle Revere in the home half of the second inning.
Shannon and Uriepero hit back-to-back singles to begin the top of the third for YSU, and Shannon scored from third on an RBI sacrifice bunt from Ruffner. Uriepero was able to race home when Chyran Humphries reached on an error to give the Penguins a 7-5 edge.
Oakland pulled within 7-6 by scoring once in the bottom of the third inning. Shuck hit a leadoff double and scored on Lucas Day's RBI double down the right field line.
YSU increased its lead to 9-6 after a two-run double by Jang in the top of the fourth. The lead swelled to 13-6 after the Penguins plated four runs in the top half of the fifth. Shannon delivered a two-out RBI single before Uriepero's three-run double to right field.
The Golden Grizzlies trimmed YSU's lead to 13-11 with five runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth inning. Two walks and a single loaded the bases before three runs scored on a single by Tony Konopiots and an ensuing throwing error. Day homered to left field in the next at bat to bring Oakland within two runs.
Oakland starter George Hansen allowed four runs on two hits and two walks while recording just two outs. Jaxson Easterlin was responsible for three runs over two innings as the first of five relievers to appear for the Golden Grizzlies. Blake Sehlke suffered the loss after permitting four runs over two innings out of the bullpen.
Shuck finished 3-for-6 at the plate with a home run, a double, two RBIs and three runs scored to lead Oakland offensively.
Game 2 Recap
Youngstown State scored the first 11 runs of the game to support another stellar starting pitching performance from Braden Gebhardt in a 16-2 victory in seven innings over Oakland in game two of Friday's doubleheader at the Oakland Baseball Field.
YSU went in front on a solo homer from Rossi in the top of the first inning before pushing its lead to 6-0 with five runs in the second. The Penguins pushed across five more runs in the fourth before the Golden Grizzlies scored their first run in the fifth. YSU added two runs in the sixth and three tallies in the seventh to pull away for the doubleheader sweep.
Gebhardt allowed two runs on six hits while striking out eight batters over 6.1 innings to earn his third victory of the season. The senior left-hander retired the first 13 batters he faced before Griffith's one-out single in the top of the fifth inning. Gebhardt moved into seventh on YSU's career strikeout list on Friday by pushing his career total to 210.
Youngstown State followed its high-scoring performance in the series opener by setting new season highs with 16 runs and 17 hits in game two. Rossi and Shannon each went yard while Beckley doubled twice and drove in three runs. YSU had 11 different players record a hit in the victory while six different Penguins had multiple hits.
The Penguins struck first in the top of first inning when Rossi hit a solo home run to left center field. YSU added five runs on four hits while sending 10 batters to the plate in the top of the second to take a 6-0 lead. Jang hit a leadoff double, Shannon walked and both runners moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt from Uriepero. Ruffner followed with a two-run single, stole second and scored on a two-out RBI single from Schummer. Beckley added a two-run double later in the inning to cap the YSU rally.
YSU exploded for five more runs on five hits in the top of the fourth inning to build an 11-0 lead. Beckley and Jang hit back-to-back run-scoring doubles, Uriepero drove in a run with an RBI bunt single and James Carlson added an RBI groundout.
Oakland got on the scoreboard with a single run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Griffith reached with a one-out single and scored on an RBI single from Carter Hain.
The Penguins tacked on a pair of runs in the top half of the sixth to take a 13-1 lead. Shannon belted his Horizon League leading 11th home run of the season while Carlson hit a two-out single and scored from second on Cutting's RBI double. Uriepero recorded an RBI single while Ruffner added a two-run double for the Penguins in the top of the seventh.
Hain and Jack Lux hit back-to-back one-out singles in the bottom off the seventh before Gebhardt handed the ball to Banks Cox out of the bullpen. Hain advanced to third on a walk by Cameron Spezia and scored on a sacrifice fly from Ben Clark for the game's final run.
Oakland starter Tanner Ware surrendered six runs on five hits over two innings in a losing effort. Ethan Glassman was responsible for five runs over 3.2 innings of relief as the first of three relievers to appear for the Golden Grizzlies.
The Penguins will go for the Horizon League series sweep of the Golden Grizzlies on Saturday afternoon. First pitch at the Oakland Baseball Field is scheduled for 3 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
