Rochester, Mich. -- The Youngstown State baseball team completed the Horizon League series sweep with a 6-4 victory over Oakland on Saturday afternoon in the series finale at the Oakland Baseball Field.
Oakland scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first inning before YSU scored twice in the second and twice in the third to lead 4-1. The Penguins held a 5-2 edge before the Golden Grizzlies scored a pair of runs in the home half of the fifth to shave YSU's lead to 5-4. Youngstown State plated the final run of the contest in the top of the sixth inning and held on to win its third straight game.
After winning both games of a doubleheader with the Golden Grizzlies on Friday, the Penguins completed the three-game series sweep on Saturday to improve to 6-9 in Horizon League play. Oakland dropped to 5-10 in league competition following its loss on Saturday.
Luke Zmolik retired the first eight batters he faced after taking over for Brandon Mikos on the mound in the bottom of the fifth inning. Zmolik, the fifth-year senior right-hander, struck out Jack Lux to end the bottom of the fifth before sitting the Golden Grizzlies down in order in both the sixth and seventh innings. The Monroe, Wash., native worked around a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth to earn his first win of the season.
Zmolik posted new seasons highs with six strikeouts and 4.1 innings pitched while scattering two hits. Mikos allowed four runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and three walks over 4.2 innings on the mound in his sixth start of the season.
Garrett Cutting finished 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs from the leadoff spot to pace three Penguins with multiple hits in the contest. Nathan Beckley and Alex Jang added two hits apiece while Chyran Humphries recorded an RBI single, a walk and a run scored.
Oakland started the scoring with a single run in the bottom of the first inning. Aidan Orr hit a one-out single and scored from third on a sacrifice fly from Sam Griffith.
YSU went in front 2-1 with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. Jang drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on a two-out RBI single by Humphries. Cutting followed with an RBI single of his own to give the Guins the lead.
The Penguins plated two more runs in the top of the third to increase their lead to 4-1. Luke Rossi was hit by a pitch and scored on Jang's RBI double while Beckley doubled and stole home to give YSU a three-run advantage.
The Golden Grizzlies trimmed YSU's lead to 4-2 by posting a single tally in the home half of the fourth inning. Carter Hain drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on Ben Clark's two-out RBI single.
Youngstown State got the run back in the top half of the fifth as Beckley hit a leadoff single and scored from third on a passed ball to give the Guins a 5-2 lead.
Oakland scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to cut YSU's advantage to 5-4. Aidan Shuck hit a leadoff single and scored on a sacrifice fly from Sam Patton while Lucas Day singled and scored on Hain's two-out RBI double.
The Penguins pushed their lead to 6-4 by scoring one run in the top half of the sixth inning. Humphries drew a one-out walk and raced home from first on Cutting's RBI double.
Oakland starter Ben Green was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs, three of which were earned, on six hits with seven strikeouts over five innings. Owen Thomson and Andrew Landis combined to limit YSU to one run on three hits over the final four frames.
Day finished 3-for-5 at the plate to lead the Golden Grizzlies offensively while Hain doubled twice, walked and drove in a run.
Youngstown State is scheduled to visit Toledo on Tuesday at 3 p.m. in a non-league contest before hosting the Rockets the following day at 717 Credit Union Field at Eastwood at 5 p.m.
