YSU splits doubleheader

Staff report

NILES

Youngstown State split a doubleheader at Eastwood Field with Milwaukee Friday.

The Penguins (18-17, 6-4 Horizon League) lost the second game 9-8 with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning.

In the first game, Jonathan Crist singled home Joe Iacobucci with the game-winning run with one out in the bottom of the ninth in an 8-7 victory.

Milwaukee (15-17 and 5-5 in the Horizon League) scored the games first run in the top of the second, but YSU answered in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run to right center by Iacobucci. C.J. Morris put the Penguins on top 2-0 when he homered down the left field line. It was Morris’s first home run of the year.

Milwaukee took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth when Alex Erdmann scored on Doug Dekoning’s groundout and Ben Long singled home Cole Kraft with the go-ahead run.

YSU tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when Jacke Healey singled and stole second. With two outs Healey came home on Iacobucci single to right.

Iacobucci had three hits, scored three runs and finished with two RBI. Armani Johnson, who threw out a Milwaukee runner at the plate in the fifth inning, had two hits for the Penguins.

In the bottom of the ninth, Iacobucci reached on an infield single to shortstop with one out. McFarland followed with a single to left setting the stage for Crist’s heroics. On a 1-2 pitch, Crist singled to right and Iacobucci beat Nino Guerrero’s throw home to score the game winner.

The Penguins wrap up a busy weekend on Sunday when they play host to Butler at Eastwood Field. The doubleheader against the Bulldogs is set to start at noon.