Penguins tune up with 3-2 win over Kent

YSU plays UIC this weekend.
By PAUL TRGOVAC
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NILES -- The Youngstown State University baseball team warmed up for their key Horizon League weekend series with a 3-2 win over Kent State Wednesday at Eastwood Field .
"Our pitchers did a real good job against a good hitting team," YSU coach Mike Florak said. "Kent is the team I think which will win the [Mid-American Conference], they are the best right now."
A couple of key two-out hits plated the three Penguin runs while eight YSU pitchers limited the Golden Flashes to one earned run and six hits.
After Penguin starter Chuck Schiffhauer set down Kent in order on just eight pitches to start the game, YSU struck for two runs in their half of the frame.
A leadoff single by Josh Page was followed by a hit off the bat of John Koehnlein, putting runners at first and second.
Close call
Brandon Caipen just missed a double when he hit a ball just outside the bag at third.
On the very next pitch. Caipen grounded into a double play which seemed to end the rally. Erich Diedrich walked and Justin Banks doubled into the left field corner to give YSU a 2-0 lead.
"We just came out fighting and swung the bats in the first inning," Florak said.
Schiffhauer went the first four innings, allowing just two hits with a pair of strikeouts to pick up the win to improve to 4-2 on the season. He needed just 37 pitches in the four innings.
"[Schiffauer] is becoming a leader," Florak said. "He is a great person off the field and has a great work ethic. It has been real fun to watch him."
YSU increased their advantage to 3-0 in the fifth. After the first two Penguins were retired, J.D. Hannon singled.
Page followed with his second hit of the game, and Koehnlein followed with his second hit, a single to right to plate Hannon.
Flashes rebound
After Chris Dennis tossed a scoreless fifth inning with two strikeouts, the Golden Flashes managed to score two runs off Joe Antoine in the sixth.
A leadoff single by Joe Tucker was followed by former Boardman player Chris Tremblay reaching on an error.
After a flyout, Antoine was replaced on the mound by Josh Wells. Following a double steal, Wells walked the next batter with the first run scoring on a wild pitch.
After a hit batter, and a ball to the next batter, Florak brought in Lucas Engle to pitch.
Engle walked in a run then got out of the inning with a doubleplay grounder.
Kent shut down
The last there innings found the YSU bullpen shut down Kent. Eric Shaffer gave up a leadoff single, then retired the next three men on groundouts in the seventh. He was followed by Kevin Libeg who had three strikeouts, all of them called, in the eighth. The ninth was all Ryan Sellman, who struck out the side to record his fifth save on the year.
The win improved YSU to 20-25 on the season, while Kent fell to 29-15. Steven Davis, the Kent starter took the loss, his first in three decisions.
"I told the guys we have UIC coming in this weekend, and they have the best record in our league, so we needed to step it up right now," Florak said.
The Penguins have lost eight straight games to UIC over the last two years. The last time YSU defeated the Flames was at Eastwood Field in the 2004 Horizon League Tournament.