COLLEGE BASEBALL Penguins rally for win, but UIC gains the split

Youngstown State plays Wednesday at Kent State.
NILES -- The Youngstown State baseball team won the first game of its doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Cafaro Field, rallying from a three-run deficit with five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull out a 6-4 win over Illinois-Chicago.
In game two, UIC took advantage of five Penguin errors and had 12 hits in an 11-5 victory.
Rally starter: YSU (8-11 overall, 2-2 Horizon League) trailed 4-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning with one out, when Tim Stacey singled down the right field line. Jim Lipinski singled to right-center and Stacey advanced to third. Adam Cox had an RBI single to second and Stacy scored.
The rally continued when Mark Nightingale reached on a fielder's choice to second, and Lipinski advanced to third. Kyle Penrod had an RBI single to left field, advancing Nightingale to third, and Clint Ford's RBI single down the left field line tied the score at 4.
Pinch-hitter Ross Buttle walked, advancing Ford to second and Penrod to third. Schlabach singled to right field, scoring Ford and Penrod to give the Penguins the 6-4 victory.
Frank Santore pitched a seven-inning complete game, allowing four runs -- three earned -- while scattering 10 hits and striking out one.
Gaining revenge: In game two, the Flames scored three runs in the second, four in the sixth, three in the eighth, and one in the ninth against four YSU pitchers.
Freshman Chris Dennis suffered his first loss of the season, allowing three runs -- one earned -- in 32/3 innings. Also pitching for the Penguins were Paul Yates, Mike Abdalla, and Jonathan Smart.
UIC's Ryan Gehring (4-0) pitched 82/3 innings, scattering 10 hits and allowing five runs while striking out two.
The Penguins jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when James Swearengen scored on an RBI groundout. Kendall Schlabach and Jim Lipiniski each had three hits to lead YSU, while UIC's Andy Deahl had three hits for the Flames.
The Penguins return to action Wednesday when they play at Kent State at 3 p.m.