Penguins’ bats not enough in 18-11 loss against Akron

By PETE MOLICA

AKRON — Pitching is the key to every successful baseball program at any level and that’s the key reason why Youngstown State is struggling with a 3-13 record.

Wednesday, the Penguins pounded out 13 hits including four home runs but suffered an 18-11 loss to Akron at Lee Jackson Field.

The main reason for the Penguins’ struggles was pitching.

YSU fell behind 11-1 in the first four innings. That included a seven-run Zips fourth inning that produced just one hit.

But it was a big one as senior infielder Phil Bednar climaxed the rally with a grand slam.

YSU starting pitcher, freshman Ryan Messmer, and four relievers allowed Akron 18 runs on 13 hits. The real damage was the 13 base on balls that the quintent allowed along with a couple of hit batsmen over the nine-inning span.

“To be a good baseball team you have to have good pitching and we are not getting much help on the mound right now,” YSU head coach Rich Pasquale said.

“There is really no excuse, we are just not getting the job done out there,” Pasquale said. “Thirteen walks and a couple of hit batsmen, there is just no reason for that kind of effort.”

Pasquale was pleased with the way the Penguins swung the bats, at least after the first three innings.

Akron starter and winner Scott Foster retired the Penguins in order the first three innings. The first hit that he gave up was a solo home run by C.J. Morris with one out in the top of the fourth inning.

Morris, Eric Marzec, Jeremy Banks and Joe Iacobucci homered for the Penguins. All four homers came between the fourth and seventh innings when all 11 runs and all 13 YSU hits were recorded.

“We just have a problem getting started,” said Iacobucci, a former Boardman High standout. “We didn’t get the pitching today, but we were swinging the bats really well.

“This team’s too good to be 3-13, we’ll get things going here soon,” he said.

Soon had better be this weekend when the Penguins begin play in the Horizon League with a three-game series at Wright State beginning Friday. A doubleheader is set on Saturday.

“I like the way we’re swinging the bats heading into league play, but I’m certainly not pleased with our pitching right now,” Pasquale said. “We’ve got about four or five guys that are doing the job and the rest aren’t.”

Iacobucci and Morris each had three hits including the homer. Morris also doubled as did Marzec, who had two hits.

Bednar was the one who really killed the Penguins as he finished with three hits. Two of them were homers and the other a double as he drove in seven runs.

Brandon White also had three hits for the Zips, who also finished with four homers as White and Ryan Frazee also connected.

Messmer managed to get through the first two innings unharmed, but in the third he allowed three hits and four runs, walked two and hit two.

Tom Clayton came on in the fourth and retired the first batter before walking the bases loaded.

Following the Penguins’ first error of the game (they finished with four), Matt Tucker came on to relieve Clayton. He walked in one run before giving up the grand slam to Bednar, the only hit in the inning as Akron sent 11 hitters to the plate.

Trailing 11-1, the Penguins did come back, scoring once in the fifth and five in the sixth. They closed out the comeback with four more in the seventh to get to within two runs 13-11, but the Zips put the game away with four in the seventh.

mollica@vindy.com