Butler rallies to beat YSU, 5-3

The Penguins play Cleveland State today in an elimination game.
SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR
FAIRBORN -- Coach Mike Florak's blueprint for postseason success was working perfectly for seven innings in Youngstown State's Horizon League baseball tournament opener against Butler Wednesday.
Grab an early lead, have the starting pitcher go seven innings and then turn the game over to undefeated closer Ryan Sellman.
But in the final three innings everything collapsed for the Penguins (26-28), who suffered a 5-3 defeat in 10 innings to Butler.
YSU will play Cleveland State today at 11 a.m. in an elimination game.
Built 3-0 lead
The Penguins built a 3-0 lead by scoring twice in the first inning and picking up a run in the fifth. Lucas Engle went 71/3 innings and Sellman came on in the eighth to preserve a 3-1 lead.
In the eighth, Bulldogs leadoff hitter Stephen Gill and Joe Pauley singled to open the inning. After Pauley was picked off first base, pinch hitter Mike Stout ripped an RBI double that knocked Engle from the contest.
Then, after Butler's Jeff Brown grounded out to short, Joe Dempsey lined a homer, his ninth of the year, over the left-field fence off Sellman, tying the score at 3.
Sellman worked out of a jam in the ninth, but in the 10th Butler used four singles to score the decisive two runs.
Nate Hart, who was hitless in six at-bats all year, led off the inning with a bunt single. After a sacrifice bunt, Dempsey singled to right field, scoring Hart.
Dempsey eventually came home on Joel Matheny's single.
For the first seven innings, Engle put the clamps on the Bulldogs.
Butler had three hits in the first two innings before being held hitless until the three-run eighth.
Engle struck out seven and allowed two earned runs on just six hits.
Sellman suffered his first defeat of the season (6-1) allowing three runs in 22/3 innings on six hits. It was his first loss since April 10, 2005, against Cleveland State.
Starter "deserved to win"
"Lucas did a great job, but it just didn't work out," Florak said.
"He's been great for us all year and he deserved to win that game. But we couldn't come through late in the game."
In the first, J.D. Hannan was hit by a pitch and John Koehnlein beat out a sacrifice bunt.
After Caipen executed a sacrifice bunt, Erich Diedrich's single inside the right field line scored Hannan and Koehnlein just four batters into the game.
In the fifth, YSU picked up a run when Justin Banks drew a bases-loaded walk to score Charles Schultz.
But after the fifth, when Butler brought in relief pitcher Jon Dages (3-5), the Penguins had just three singles, including two by Schultz. In two appearances earlier this year, Dages had an earned run average of more than 20 against YSU.
The road is long for the Penguins, who need to win six straight games to win their second tournament title in three years.
"We just have to play better tomorrow, that's all there is to it," Florak said. "We've got to play better and play smarter. We'll get Eric [Shaffer] after them and see what happens."