YSU crushes Butler, 20-7
CHICAGO — John Koehnlein set school and tournament single-game records with six hits, Mike Turjanica homered twice and Chuck Schiffauer pitched eight strong innings as Youngstown State routed Butler, 20-7, in a Horizon League baseball tournament game Thursday.
The Penguins (18-36) staved off elimination and advanced to today’s game against Cleveland State, which lost to Illinois-Chicago Thursday night.
YSU hit five home runs and had 23 hits as a stiff wind that gusted to 35 mph blew straight out to center field.
“I’m just hitting what they throw at me,” Koehnlein said. “The ball looked like a beach ball today. I just saw everything perfectly.
“I just hope that this momentum carries on for us the rest of the tournament. I think everyone is in the same situation that I am. We’re just seeing the ball very well.”
Tom Clayton hit a grand slam to highlight an eight-run fourth inning for the Penguins to give them a 14-2 lead.
Erich Diedrich and Lee Bainbridge had solo homers in the fifth.
“Johnny’s just a very, very good athlete, and he’s had a great year,” YSU coach Mike Florak said of Koehnlein. “We just hope he keeps it up the rest of the tournament.”
Strong pitching
Schiffhauer threw 123 pitches and held the Bulldogs to seven runs on 11 hits in eight innings despite the wind.
“Chuck Schiffhauer was outstanding,” said Florak. “He really stepped up and was a real leader today. He was the key. He’s a clutch player. He’s just a tough, hard-nosed kid. He’s very reliable, and he does whatever he’s asked to do.”
Turjanica got the Penguins on the board in the second with his first home run and his two-run homer in the third put YSU ahead 6-1.
YSU added three runs in the ninth, including two on Koehnlein’s single up the middle with the bases loaded, for its final tally.
Koehnlein also had two hits in Wednesday’s game and has eight hits in 11 at-bats in the tournament. He has 105 hits for the season, which is third-most in Horizon League history. He needs 10 more to tie the record.
Koehnlein also drove in a career-high five runs to match Clayton’s total. Diedrich and Brent Parks added four hits apiece.
The 20-run output matched YSU’s previous season-high against Notre Dame College May 2. The Penguins’ 23 hits were the second-most in school history and the most since a 24-hit outing at California (Pa.) in 1988.
“I think we’re in pretty good shape,” Florak said. “We have a lot of pitching left, and we’re swinging the bats well. Anything could happen.”