YOUNGSTOWN STATE ROUNDUP News and notes

Shutout: For the first time this season, the Penguins were able to hold Illinois-Chicago without a run in the first inning. In four meetings earlier this month, the Flames scored a total of 14 runs in the four contests. YSU starter Eric Shaffer allowed two first-inning singles with two outs, but was able to get out of the jam.Fans in the stands: There has been a lot of support on hand for the Penguins the first two days. On Thursday and Friday, former YSU softball player Kiisha Warfield was in attendance. Warfield is serving as an intern in the Horizon League office this summer. On Friday night, track and field coach Brian Gorby, assistant coach Shawn Cobey and Horizon League shot put champion Bethany Anderson were at the game against UIC. Also on Friday night, athletic director Ron Strollo witnessed the game.
Close outcomes: The first seven games of the tournament were decided by 16 runs (average 2.3 per game). Of those games, three were decided by one run, one by two, one by three and two by four. Through those seven contests, there were no upsets by lower seeds.Friday's best: Wisconsin-Milwaukee junior pitcher Korey Keller had an impressive performance against Wright State in the second elimination game of the day. Keller finished with a complete-game shutout against the Raiders allowing just four hits in the 4-0 Panther victory. The last shutout in the Horizon League Tournament was in 2003 by UIC against Butler.Raiders beat CSU: Wright State stayed alive early in the day when John Kopilchack hit a walk-off home run in an 11-10 victory over Cleveland State. The Raiders built an 8-5 lead only to watch the Vikings rally and take a 10-8 lead in the in the sixth. WSU tied the game scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth, before Kopilchack's heroics came on the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth inning.
YSU sports information