HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT 2-run combos by Illinois proves too much for YSU

YSU got only four hits and no runner reached second base.
SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR
INDIANAPOLIS -- For most of the night, Youngstown State starting pitcher Eric Shaffer and Illinois-Chicago's Ryan Zink traded blows like heavyweight fighters.
Unfortunately for the Penguins, two-run combinations by the Flames in the fourth and eighth innings proved to be too much to overcome in a 4-0 defeat in the winner's bracket final of the Horizon League tournament Friday night at Victory Field.
Youngstown State drops into the consolation final, an elimination game against Wisconsin-Milwaukee today at noon.
The winner of that contest plays UIC at 4 p.m. later in the day, but has to beat the Flames twice to win the championship.
Shaffer retired nine straight batters at one point after two first-inning singles, before UIC broke through for its first two runs.
With two outs, Ted Rosinski singled and stole second base, then Bryan Nolte and Larry Gempp Jr. walked.
Mike Bruszer drilled a single to center, scoring Rosinski and Nolte, who just beat Brent Parks' throw to catcher Brandon Caipen.
The Flames added two more runs in the eighth, taking advantage of YSU's only error of the game.
Bryan Russo reached first when Mike Turjanica couldn't dig shortstop Charles Schultz's throw out of the dirt. Mark Hallberg followed with a hit-and-run single up the middle, advancing Russo to third.
Bart Babineaux singled to left field to score Russo for the third run of the game. After a sacrifice bunt by Rosinski, Nolte executed a safety squeeze bunt, scoring Hallberg with the Flames' fourth run.
Pitchers' numbers
Zink (8-5) went the distance while Shaffer (4-8) pitched 7 1/3 innings. Shaffer allowed four runs -- three earned -- and scattered nine hits to go along with two strikeouts and two walks, both of which came in the fourth. He dropped to 0-3 all-time against the Flames.
Zink, who is 3-0 and has a save in four career outings against the Penguins, has pitched 25 innings against YSU, allowing just 14 hits, while recording 19 strikeouts and just two walks.
He struck out two Friday night while walking just one.
Against the tall right-hander, the Penguins managed just four base hits: Dustin Thomas in the second, Parks in the third, Justin Banks in the fourth and Schultz in the eighth. No Penguin reached second base the entire game.
For each team, no leadoff batter reached base until the bottom of the eighth when Russo reached on Schultz's throwing miscue. Parks walked opening the ninth, and was the lone Penguin to lead off an inning by reaching base.
With the defeat, YSU had its five-game conference-tournament win streak snapped and lost for the first time this season in 10 night games.