YSU loses series finale to UWM, prepares for Horizon tourney

YSU, which dropped a 9-8 decision, will next play Wednesday.

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Troy Veslig and John Sarcia hit back-to-back doubles with two outs in the eighth inning, lifiting Wisconson-Milwaukee over Youngstown State, 9-8, in the finale of a three-game Horizon League baseball series Friday at Henry Aaron Field.

Next up for the Penguins (23-31, 13-12 HL) is the league tournament at Eastwood Field. YSU is assured of the third, fourth or fifth seed, depending on the outcomes of two other series that wrap up today — Valparaiso-UIC and Cleveland State-Butler.

Regardless, the Penguins’ first tournament game will be Wednesday, either at 11 a.m. or 3 p.m.

Youngstown State won two of the three games in the series, sweeping Thursday’s doubleheader, 8-6 and 5-4 in 13 innings.

Friday the Penguins were led by Anthony Porter’s three hits and three RBIs, and two hits by Eric Marzec,.

Shawn Wozniak homered twice and drove in six runs for Milwaukee (21-34, 11-15).

Porter hit a two-out, two-run single in the first to put YSU ahead 2-0, but Wozniak singled in a run in the first and RBI hits from Sarcia and Jesse Hart in the second gave UWM a 3-2 lead.

Marzec singled and scored on an error in the fourth to tie the score, and both teams scored twice in the fifth to make the score 5-5.

Hart and Nick Wichser singled to start the sixth for Milwaukee, and Wozniak followed with a three-run homer down the left field line to put the Panthers up 8-5.

The first three batters reached for YSU in the seventh as Iacobucci walked, Porter singled and Marzec hit an RBI double. Porter scored when David Leon grounded out, and Marzec scored on Anthony Munoz’s sacrifice bunt.

YSU used six different pitchers in the game — none of whom threw more than 21‚Ñ3 innings or 50 pitches. Matt Tucker was charged with the loss, allowing the winning run on three hits in the eighth.

Thursday night, Eric Marzec’s RBI single in the 13th inning lifted YSU to the doubleheader sweep.

YSU scored twice in the eighth and once in the ninth to overcome a 3-1 deficit.

Erich Diedrich led off the 13th with a walk. A hit batter and a wild pitch put Diedrich at third. Against a drawn-in infield, Marzec singled between short and third with the eventual game-winner.

Ryan Sellman, who retired the final batter in the 12th, allowed just a two-out single in the bottom of the 13th to earn his first win.