YSU wins series opener, 8-6, over Wis-Milwaukee

Thursday’s nightcap was tied 4-4 after 12 innings.

VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Youngstown State baseball team broke a 5-5 deadlock with three runs in the eighth inning and posted an 8-6 victory over Wisconsin-Milwaukee Thursday in the first game of a Horizon League doubleheader at Miller Park, home of the National League’s Milwaukee Brewers.

The Penguins (22-30, 12-11 Horizon) were deadlocked with the Panthers 4-4 in the 12th inning of the second game which wasn’t completed in time for this edition.

YSU, which is in third place in the Horizon League standings, and needs at least another win to hold onto that spot going into next week’s Horizon League Tournament, which the Penguins will be hosting at Eastwood Field in Niles.

The Penguins took a 4-0 lead in the opener, strongly on the bat os senior Erich Diedrich, who singled in a run in the first inning and then hit a two-run homer in the third inning when the Penguins added three runs.

The Panthers came back to tie up the contest with a four-run rally in the fourth inning.

After both teams added a run in the seventh inning as the Penguins scored when junior John Koehnlein opened with a single and scored when senior Sean Lucas tripled him home.

In the eighth, Lucas, Eric Marzec and Koehnlein all had RBIs as the Penguins pulled in front 8-5.

YSU starter Aaron Swenson pitched the first six and two-thirds innings, but did not get the decision which went to reliever Craig Gillet, who came on in the seventh and recorded the win.

Diedrich, Lucas, Koehnlein and Josh Page all had two hits each for the Penguins, who outhit the Panthers 14-11.

Swenson allowed eight hits and five runs, but only three of them were earned, while he struck out one and walked two.

The two teams will play a single game today at 2 p.m. at Miller Park which will conclude the regular season for both teams.