Koehnlein helps YSU stop slide vs. Raiders

In the nightcap, freshman Aaron Swenson tossed six innings to get the win against Wright State.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- Youngstown State sophomore John Koehnlein was tired of losing, so he ignited the YSU baseball team to a 9-8 victory over Wright State in the second game of its Horizon League doubleheader against Wright State Saturday at Eastwood Field.
The former Toronto Central Catholic standout had six hits in the doubleheader, three in each game, as the Penguins snapped a three-game losing streak in the nightcap.
YSU (12-23, 5-10 HL) lost the opening game 11-6.
Time to change
"I was just tired of losing," Koehnlein said. "We used the fact that we were a young team just too long, that doesn't work any more. This team has a lot of talent and we haven't shown very much of it this year."
Even in the win the Penguins struggled as they have most of the season. YSU blew a 6-1 lead in the nightcap as the Raiders tied the contest with a five-run fourth inning. The Penguins came back with single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh frames to take the victory.
It was Koehnlein that drove in the ninth run in the seventh inning that proved to be the winner. He did it with his third hit of the game. He had two doubles and a triple in the opener.
"That ball looked like a beach ball coming in there today," he said.
YSU coach Mike Florak still wasn't happy with the team's effort, but he felt they made a little progress.
"We just have to keep making the effort out there, it's coming, but we're still not there yet," Florak said.
In the first game, the Penguins didn't get any pitching, the hits came, but not when they were needed, and they committed four errors.
Early eruption
Wright State jumped out to a 4-0 lead and then blew the game open with a five-run fifth inning before the Penguins finally showed some life.
The Penguins scored three times in the fifth inning, including doubles by Koehnlein and junior Erich Diedrich, then added two more in the seventh when Koehnlein tripled in one run and then scored on an infield out,
The Penguins had 10 hits in the opener and seven of them were extra base hits, three of them by Koehnlein.
Junior Adam Kalafos started the opener and allowed 10 runs and 10 hits before being relieved by Ryan Wackerman, while Joe Antinone pitched the final three innings.
The Raiders (20-14, 13-7) pounded out 15 hits in the win, three each by Dan Biedenham and Gerald Ogrinc. Two of Biedenham's were doubles.
In the nightcap freshman Aaron Swenson started for the Penguins and tossed six innings to get the win.
He cruised through the first four, allowing just one run, a solo home run by John Koplchack, but was battered in the fifth, allowing five runs on six hits, as the Raiders tied the game 6-6. Jeremy Hamilton had a two-run homer in the inning for the Raiders.
Gets support
YSU gave Swenson a 6-1 lead in the third inning when they pounded out five hits, including a two-run single by Diedrich and an RBI single by Brent Parks.
The Penguins regain the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Josh Page singled home Mike Turjanica, who had reached on an error.
They added another run in the sixth when Diedrich led off with a single and scored on Tom Clayton's double to right field.
Wright State pulled to within a run in the seventh, but the Penguins answered right back in their half of the inning as Koehnlein single home Rayce Robinson with the ninth run.
The Raiders scored one more in the eighth as Hamilton doubled home the run, but YSU reliever Andy Svitak came on and got the Penguins out of the inning and then retired the Raiders in order in the ninth to get the save.
The two teams will play the final game of the series today at 1 p.m. at Eastwood Field.
mollica@vindy.com