YSU rallies in ninth; will face Cleveland St.

The Penguins scored all their runs in the final inningto beat Butler, 4-3.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- Youngstown State baseball coach Mike Florak felt if his team's bats were working, the Penguins would be OK in the Horizon League tournament, which got underway Wednesday at Eastwood Field.
The Penguins' bats were silent until the ninth inning, but then erupted, producing four runs, as they came from a 3-0 deficit to defeat Butler, 4-3, advancing to Friday morning's semifinal with Cleveland State.
Sophomore pitcher Justin Thomas went eight innings to pick up the victory, and freshman Andy Svitak got the save by retiring the Bulldogs in the ninth.
Sophomore Brandon Caipen came up with the big hit for YSU,, a two-run single that tied the score at 3, then sophomore Charles Schultz followed with an infield single; and when Butler's Stephen Gill threw wildly to first trying to get Schultz, Caipen came around to score the go-ahead run.
Team has determination
"If there is one thing that you can say about this team all year long is that it has a lot of guts," said Florak. "They never quit and they'll never give up.
"We got great pitching from Justin and Andy, and our hitting finally came around when we needed it."
The win gives the Penguins a full day's rest before they play again Friday morning at 10:30 a.m. against Cleveland State. The third-seeded Vikings defeated No. 6 Detroit, 11-6, earlier Wednesday.
"After tonight we really need that rest," Florak said. "That was like playing three games out there. And everybody knows we never play more than once a week anyway because of the weather."
Caipen, who also made an impressive diving catch in right field, said it's time that the Penguins finally came together.
Good sign
"We've struggled all year, but hopefully this is the start of something good," he said.
"I really wasn't looking for anything special when I went up there. I was just trying to get a pitch I could get the bat on," he said. "It feels good to get a key hit like that in a big game like this."
Thomas allowed a run in the fifth when the Penguins committed their lone error of the game, and two in the eighth.
Florak said if the score had remained tied going into the bottom of the ninth inning he would have stayed with Thomas.
"I wanted to go back out, but now that we won I'm glad I didn't," said Thomas (7-2).
"All season long it was either good pitching and no hitting or good hitting and no pitching. It's time we finally put things together," he added.
The Penguins finished with seven hits, including two by Schultz, while Butler had six.
Penguins rally
YSU's rally started when Justin Banks led off with a walk against Butler's Craig Costello, then Adam Cox singled. Costello was relieved by Jon Olson, who allowed a single to Brent Parks, loading the bases.
Jim Phillips then grounded to third and Cox was forced out at home. Kyle Penrod, pinch hitting for Jeff Solt, hit into a fielder's choice (4-6), but Penrod beat the relay to first, scoring Banks.
Kendall Schlabach walked, loading the bases again, then Caipen drilled a single up the middle, scoring Parks and Clint Ford, who pinch ran for Penrod, to tie the score.
Schultz then hit a grounder up the middle that Gill stopped, but his throw to first, even though he had no chance at Schultz, bounced freely as Caipen scored the go-ahead run.
mollica@vindy.com