YSU scores sweep over Wright State

The Penguins got strong pitching performances in 9-1 and 6-1 wins.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- Two outstanding pitching performances, good defense and timely hitting led the Youngstown State baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Wright State Saturday afternoon at Eastwood Field.
On a cold, windy day the Penguins (12-16, 4-4 Horizon League) posted a 9-1 win in the opener and 6-1 victory in the nightcap.
Sophomore pitcher Lucas Engle threw eight innings of six-hit ball in the opener, while senior Eric Shaffer went 82/3 innings in the nightcap; and both hurlers had the Raiders well under control all day long.
"It's just so good to be home," said YSU head coach Mike Florak. "Playing 25 of our first 26 games on the road was just brutal.
"It was two good wins and two outstanding pitching performances. They both threw strikes and the defense supported them very well and we hit the ball very well."
Fourth innings pivotal
The fourth inning in both games was the determining factor as the Penguins sent 12 batters to the plate in the opening game and scored seven runs on eight hits, and Engle took over from there.
In the second game, the Penguins sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five times to give Shaffer all the help he needed.
Both pitchers said that the weather, which hovered between the low 40s and high 30s all afternoon, wasn't a factor.
"Up here this is the only kind of weather we're used to pitching in, so you have to get use to it," said Engle (2-2).
"I had been struggling somewhat and really haven't had back-to-back good performances until today. I was able to throw strikes and stay ahead of the hitters and got good support from the defense."
Shaffer, who has been one of the veterans on the YSU staff, improved to 3-4 on the season.
Shaffer's strategy
"I don't have the velocity to throw the ball past hitters, so I have to rely on my defense and throw strikes and stay ahead of the hitters and I was able to do that today," he said.
"These were two big wins against a good team and now we just have to keep it going."
In the opener, the Penguins pounded out 15 hits, led by senior Justin Banks, who had three hits including two doubles. Junior shortstop Lou Gattozzi added two hits and three RBIs.
In the big fourth inning, the Penguins had seven consecutive singles -- all with two outs -- and finished with eight in the inning. Every player in the lineup had at least one hit in the game.
Senior Dustin Thomas and sophomore Josh Page also had two hits in the contest.
Wright State (14-12, 6-5 Horizon) scored a run in the fifth inning on a leadoff double by Ross Order and two groundouts.
Sophomore Joe Antinone, came on to pitch a perfect ninth inning in relief of Engle.
YSU scores 4 in fourth
In the fourth inning of the second game, the Penguins used four hits, including doubles by senior Brandon Caipen and junior Brent Parks, who ripped his shot off the right field wall, to score five times with the help of a Raiders error.
The Raiders outhit the Penguins 10-8, but Shaffer scattered those hits until the ninth when he allowed three hits and one run before senior Kevin Libeg came on to get the final out.
The two teams will meet in the final game of the series today at 1 p.m. at Eastwood Field.