HORIZON LEAGUE BASEBALL Youngstown State believes it belongs

The Penguins are one win from the tournament title and an NCAA regional berth.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- Nobody outside the Youngstown State baseball family ever gave the Penguins a chance to be in the championship game of the Horizon Tournament this weekend.
But, following Saturday's 5-4 victory over top-seeded Illinois-Chicago at Eastwood Field, the Penguins not only find themselves in the championship game, but undefeated in three straight games. YSU (21-30), seeded No. 7 in the tournament, has now defeated the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 seeds in its first three games.
Holding on
The Penguins blew leads of 3-0 and 4-2 before rallying with an unearned run in the top of the ninth inning to defeat the Flames, the defending tournament champions, in the winner's bracket final.
"I just had that feeling all this week that things would come together for this team in the tournament," said YSU coach Mike Florak. "This team has gone through so much this season and I'm happiest for our seniors, who have worked so hard."
Pitching was the key to the Penguins' first two victories in the tournament, but junior starter Chris Dennis had his problems on Saturday.
Dennis tied a tournament record by walking 11 batters, but he allowed just two hits and left the game with a 3-2 lead. The Flames eventually tied the score 4-4 and freshman Andy Svitak picked up the victory, pitching the final three innings in relief.
Dennis said he really didn't know what his problem was Saturday. Just over a week ago he beat the Flames 1-0 on a three-hit complete game.
"It might have been my mechanics, I'm really not sure, but it wasn't my best effort," Dennis said. "But our confidence level is so high right now, there was no way we were going to lose."
Svitak, just a freshman, said he feels no pressure coming into a tough situation.
"I just go out there and try to throw strikes," he said. "It's not that much different than high school; they've got a bat and I've got the ball."
Early offense
Once again, the Penguins struck early, scoring three times in the first inning. Sophomore Justin Banks, senior Adam Cox and sophomore Brian Boone had run-scoring hits.
The Penguins added a fourth run in the seventh to take a 4-2 lead as Banks, who had three hits in the game, drove in his second run.
The winning run in the ninth, after UIC had tied the score with single runs in the seventh and eighth, came when sophomore Charles Schultz reached on an error. Senior Jim Lipinski laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Schultz beat the throw to second base.
Banks then sacrificed both runners up one base, before Cox drove a ball deep to center, scoring Schultz with the go-ahead run.
"It is just a great feeling to be in this situation," Banks said. "We said from the beginning that we were going to win four straight and sweep the title. I know nobody but us really believed that."
Free passes
The Flames never really took advantage of the 12 walks that the Penguins gave them, as they stranded 16 runners and twice left the bases loaded.
Dennis pitched into the sixth before senior Frank Santore came on to get out of a bases-loaded jam with the help of a great defensive play by sophomore Jim Phillips at third base.
In the seventh it was senior Kendall Schlabach making an inning-ending, diving catch in center that got Svitak out of a jam.
In the bottom of the ninth the Flames hurt themselves as J.P. Moran reached on an error.
Nelson Gord tried to sacrifice him to second, but when Phillips threw to Schultz at second, Moran went out of the base path trying to knock down Schultz. Umpire Greg Patoray called Moran out, ejected him and also called Gord out at first, taking the Flames right out of the game.
mollica@vindy.com