12th-inning homer gives UIC a sweep of YSU at McCune
By Greg Gulas
CANFIELD
Shannon Kehr’s solo home run in the top of the 12th inning lifted UIC (University of Illinois-Chicago) to a come-from behind 5-4 victory over Youngstown State on Sunday at McCune Park.
On YSU’s Senior Day, the Flames (17-29, 10-6) captured a sweep of the Penguins (13-30, 6-12). YSU has lost seven of their past eight games.
“I was looking for a fastball outside and she [YSU pitcher Cheryl Kale] threw me a change-up inside,” Kehr said. “I was glad to just be able to make the adjustment.
“We’ve now swept our last two series so this is a good feeling to sweep a team, especially on the road after the rocky start that we had to our season,” Kehr said. Kale, who threw 183 total pitches, moved into third place on the YSU career list with 477 innings pitched.
She surpassed Kelly Murphy (476.1 innings pitched), who pitched for YSU from 2003-06, and Be Cicero (465 innings), who toiled for YSU from 1999-2002.
After committing nine errors in Saturday’s doubleheader sweep by UIC, the Penguins played a near flawless game and were one out away from the victory before being forced into extra innings.
“After yesterday’s performance, I just wanted to come out here today to do anything in order to help the team,” Kale said. “My curveball was really working for me but I have to give them credit.
“They’re a good change-up hitting team and I really didn’t throw many change-ups in today’s game,” Kale said. “They just capitalized on the one change-up that I did throw.”
YSU led 1-0 in the second inning when shortstop Kristen Philen’s single plated Jordan Ingalls.
The Penguins increased their lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning when Autumn Grove scored on a throwing error by Flames catcher Stephanie Chavez and a run-scoring single by Amanda Palmore.
The Flames trimmed the YSU lead to 3-1 in the sixth when Kehr plated Chavez.
With two outs in the seventh, Chavez, who had three hits, two RBIs and a run scored, forced extra innings when her two-run single with two outs knotted the score at 3-3.
Devin Miller, who pitched eight innings of relief, fanned 11 while allowing just one run and one walk for her 10th victory of the season.
“My screwball was working throughout the game and that is the pitch that I relied on when I needed to this afternoon,” Miller said.
UIC pounded out 17 hits in the game; 15 coming after the fourth inning.