Marzec helps save YSU’s sweep

By Pete Mollica

The junior outfielder came on to pitch the Penguins out of a late jam Sunday.

NILES — When the Youngstown State baseball team finally needed its bullpen on Sunday, Eric Marzec was there to answer the call.

The Penguins (7-20, 4-5 Horizon League) completed a three-game sweep of Butler at Eastwood Field Sunday 8-4.

But it wasn’t quite as easy as Saturday’s doubleheader sweep of the Bulldogs when the Penguins had back-to-back complete game efforts from Aaron Swenson and Cody Dearth.

The Penguins got six strong innings from starting pitcher Phil Klein on Sunday and were enjoying a 6-1 lead when YSU head coach Rich Pasquale decided to go to the bullpen and brought in junior Anthony Munoz.

Munoz retired four of the first five batters he faced over the next two innings, but the Penguins’ only error of the three-game series got him into a jam and enabled the Bulldogs to narrow the gap to 6-4 before Marzec came out of centerfield to stop the rally.

Marzec, the junior from Canton, then helped the Penguins to build up the lead in the eighth inning with an RBI single and he retired the Bulldogs in order in the ninth to record his first save of the season.

“We made it a little interesting at the end, but one error in 27 innings isn’t bad and we had good pitching for all 27 of those innings,” said Pasquale.

“Phil [Klein] gave us six very strong innings and Anthony [Munoz] also pitched well with the error getting him into trouble. Eric [Marzec] is just Eric. He can do it all when we need him to.”

Pasquale said the sweep was big for YSU, especially after getting swept last weekend in Chicago.

“Our pitchers are much more confident,” he said. “I told them that when they are out there it’s nine against one and don’t be afraid to let your teammates help you out.”

Klein, who improved to 1-1, said he took that to heart.

“I was struggling a little bit early on, but I just told myself to get it over and let the defense do the work,” said the sophomore right-hander from Gahanna.

The 6-foot-7 Klein allowed six hits, struck out six and walked three over his six innings. He allowed the Bulldogs (4-23, 2-7) their first run in the opening inning when Rick Betsch, who walked to open the game, slid under the tag at home plate to score from second on a single by Grant Fillipitch.

But the Penguins came right back in the second and staked Klein to a 3-1 lead as Jeremy Banks walked, C.J. Morris doubled down the left field line and Boardman’s Anthony Porter hit a two-run single up the middle. Porter then scored on a single by senior John Koehnlein.

The Penguins also added two runs in the fifth off starter and losing pitcher Tyler Szymczak (1-1) when Jeremy Banks ripped a two-run single up the middle. Butler then brought in redshirt freshman reliever Dom Silvestri, a former Boardman High standout, who got the Bulldogs out of the fifth. He allowed one run in the sixth on two Butler errors before being relieved in the eighth and Porter, a former teammate of his with the Spartans, doubled to lead off the inning.

The Penguins scored twice in the eighth, the first on Marzec’s single to center and the second run on a wild pitch by reliever Matt Sokolowski.

Trailing 6-1 going to the eighth the Bulldogs made the game closer with the help of a Penguin error by shortstop Jacke Healey.

Munoz got the first two outs before giving up a single to Griffin Richeson. Jason Jamerson then hit a grounder deep in the hole at short and Healey made a nice grab, but his throw went into the stands and the Bulldogs had runners on second and third.

Alex Montagano then singled in both runners and when Marzec was brought in out of centerfield, Rick Betsch hit a double to deep left, scoring the third Butler run. But YSU left fielder Joe Iacobucci’s quick relay to Healey and his throw home nailed Tim Matheson who was trying to score from first for the third out.

Marzec is getting used to coming in without warming up.

“It’s just something I do when they need me,” he said. “But this weekend was big and it was also a lot of fun and it’s great to be back playing at home.”

The Penguins have a scheduled game at Ohio University on Tuesday at 6 p.m. They return home Wednesday to play Slippery Rock at 5 p.m. at Eastwood Field.